Heating device and heating method

ABSTRACT

The quantity of supply heat of heated gas is controlled so that a supply heat quantity of the heated gas when no heat treatment of solder or the like is needed is made smaller than a supply heat quantity of the heated gas when heat treatment of solder or the like is needed, reducing consumption power when no heat treatment is needed for a board.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a heating apparatus and heating methodfor hardening an object to be heated located on an object to be bonded(bonding base object) or, for example, a bonding material for bonding anelectronic component to the bonding base object, or more specificallyfor performing, for example, heating of a solder for solder-bonding,hardening of an electronic component fixing use thermosetting adhesive,or hardening of an encapsulation resin of an electronic component (ICchip, etc.), for example, in a process such as a process for mounting anelectronic component onto a bonding base object (object to be bonded)such as a circuit board, a component, or a wafer via a bonding material,a process for bonding a board for interposer in a wafer state to a wafervia a bonding material such as a solder bump, or a process for forming abonding material such as a bump for mounting a component in a state inwhich no component is mounted.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, a technique for mounting an electronic component on acircuit board requires multilayered circuit board, finer mountingdensity, dual-side mounting, and so on, while there is a growing demandfor reducing the consumption power of the apparatus from the point ofview of global environment.

Conventionally, in a reflow apparatus for soldering an electroniccomponent onto a circuit board, there has been a heating apparatus thatuses heating by a gas heated to a specified temperature, heating byradiant heat of infrared rays or the like, or a combination of them.However, the heating apparatus principally provides heat transfer by thegas heated to a specified temperature, and a variety of methods forcirculating the heated gas are devised according to the conventionalreflow method and reflow apparatus.

However, fabrication cannot be performed until reaching a specifiedtemperature when a reduction in consumption power is considered.Therefore, it is required to achieve a reduction in consumption power inthe operative stage of fabrication and achieve a reduction inconsumption power in the inoperative stage of fabrication.

As a prior art example relevant to the method of circulating the heatedgas, the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.6-61640 will be described with reference to FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 12,and FIG. 13.

The conventional reflow apparatus has a conveyance section 90 b forconveying a circuit board 90 a from an entrance to an exit, a preheatingchamber 90 f, a reflow heating chamber 90 h, an air circulation path 90c in which air is circulated by a sirocco fan 90 d, and an air heatingdevice 90 e provided for each air circulation path 90 c. It is to benoted that the preheating chamber 90 f and the reflow heating chamber 90h are collectively referred to as a furnace section.

The circuit board 90 a receives thereon a printed solder paste, receivesan electronic component mounted on the printed solder paste, and isconveyed through the reflow apparatus by the conveyance section 90 b. Ineach air circulation path 90 c, each sirocco fan 90 d circulates aspecified amount of air, and the air heating device 90 e heats thespecified amount of circulating air to a specified temperature. Throughthe above-mentioned processes, the circuit board 90 a conveyed to theconveyance section 90 b is heated by receiving on its upper surface thecirculating air heated to the respective specified temperatures of thepreheating chambers 90 f and the reflow heating chambers 90 h arrangedfrom the entrance toward the exit. The board is preheated to a specifiedtemperature in the preheating chambers 90 f, then heated in a reflowmanner to a specified temperature for reflow soldering in the reflowheating chambers 90 h, and finally cooled by receiving cooling air in acooling chamber 90 g.

However, in the aforementioned prior art construction, as shown in FIG.12, a flow rate Q1 of the circulating air heated to the respectivetemperatures of the chambers is constant regardless of the operatingstate of the apparatus as to, for example, whether the temperatureinside the apparatus is in a stable state (state in which a READY signalthat is a loading enable signal is ON) at a specified temperature or inan adjusting state (state in which the READY signal that is the loadingenable signal is OFF) as well as the presence or absence of a boardinside the apparatus. This becomes a factor for increasing and consuminga time for the attainment of the stable state inside the furnace andconsumption power.

FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 show timing charts of the operation of the apparatusto the attainment of the stable state inside the furnace. It is assumedthat the heating chamber has the specified temperatures of a low settingtemperature and a high setting temperature of t1 and t2, respectively,and t1<t2. If the atmospheric temperature inside the heating chamber ischanged from the low temperature t1 to the high temperature t2 bychanging the specified setting temperature of the heating chamber fromthe low temperature t1 to the high temperature t2 as shown in FIG. 12,then the furnace wall temperature of wall surfaces (heat insulator of,for example, calcium silicate) that constitute the heating chamberreaches the high temperature t2 later than the atmospheric temperatureinside the heating chamber due to the influence of the thermal capacityand the rate of heat transfer. Conversely, if the atmospherictemperature inside the heating chamber is changed from the hightemperature t2 to the low temperature t1 by changing the specifiedsetting temperature of the heating chamber from the high temperature t2to the low temperature t1 as shown in FIG. 13, then the furnace walltemperature of the wall surfaces that constitute the heating chamberalso reaches the low temperature t1 later than the atmospherictemperature is inside the heating chamber due to the influence of therate of heat transfer.

If a circuit board is heated immediately after the atmospherictemperature inside the heating chamber has reached the specifiedtemperature, then there occurs a large difference in heating temperatureby comparison with the stabilized stage since the furnace walltemperature is not stabilized, causing variations in quality. Therefore,by providing a time for stabilizing the furnace wall temperature (forexample, after a lapse of a specified time (about 30 minutes to 45minutes) by a timer after the atmospheric temperature has reached thespecified temperature in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13) and forming an output of aloading enable signal of the circuit board into the apparatus (i.e., byturning on the READY signal that is the loading enable signal), thevariations in quality of the circuit boards are restrained. However,according to this method, the time required for the furnace walltemperature to reach the specified temperature is long, and the timenecessary from the temperature setting change to the enabling of heatingis long, also causing an increase in consumption power during the time.

Furthermore, when the apparatus is in a heatable condition, thespecified amount of heated air, which is required for maintaining thetemperature of the atmosphere inside the furnace constant even when nocircuit board exists inside the apparatus and controlling the variationsin heating temperature of each circuit board when the circuit board isloaded, is circulated, and therefore, consumption power at the time whenno circuit board is loaded in the apparatus is increased.

As shown in FIG. 33, a general conveyance section 90 b is constructed ofa fixed rail section 90 i and a movable rail section 90 j. The movablerail section 90 j, which is supported in engagement by a screw 90 k viaa nut 90 l by the rotation of a motor 90 w and made slidable in adirection in which the movable rail section comes close to or away fromthe fixed rail section 90 i, can cope with the width dimension (forexample, 50 to 460 mm) of a variety of circuit boards 90 a. Therefore,an opening 90 m located between the chambers and at loading entrance andunloading exit of the apparatus has the maximum dimension (for example,460 mm) or more of the circuit board 90 a that can be conveyed.

However, in the aforementioned prior art example, the circulating airheated to the respective specified temperatures of the chambers willdisadvantageously cause thermal interference through the opening locatedbetween the chambers and at the loading entrance and unloading exit ofthe apparatus. Therefore, each air heating device must supply a largequantity of heat, and this becomes a factor for increasing theconsumption power. FIG. 34 shows the principle of the above-mentionedthermal interference. Assuming that heated air temperatures of adjoiningtwo chambers 90 n and 90 o out of a preheating chamber, a heatingchamber, and a cooling chamber are t1 and t2, respectively, and t1<t2,then air of the low temperature t1 flows into the chamber 90 o.Particularly above the fixed rail section 90 i and the movable railsection 90 j, there is a consistent flow of air along the upper surfacesof the rail sections. Before the loading of a circuit board, a stablethermal equilibrium is provided after a lapse of a specified time.However, if a circuit board is loaded, then the air temperature islargely disordered and slowly restored into the stable state.Furthermore, if circuit boards are continuously loaded and the nextcircuit board is disadvantageously loaded before the restoration intothe stable state, then the heating temperature is disadvantageouslyvaried every circuit board, causing variations in quality.

As described above, an increase in consumption power is the issue withregard to any of the disadvantageous matters, and this has been demandedto be reduced.

Accordingly, the present invention has the object of providing a heatingapparatus and heating method capable of reducing consumption power,giving solution to the aforementioned issues.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention isconstructed as follows.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is providedheating apparatus comprising:

a conveyance section for conveying a bonding base object to which anelectronic component is bonded via an object to be heated;

a heating chamber for heating the object to be heated on the bondingbase object by supplying at a specified flow rate heated gas heated to aspecified temperature by a heating device as a heating source onto thebonding base object conveyed by the conveyance section; and

a gas supply heat quantity control unit for controlling the quantity ofheat of the gas so that a supply heat quantity of the gas when no heattreatment for the object to be heated is needed is made smaller than asupply heat quantity of the gas when heat treatment for the object to beheated is needed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda heating apparatus as defined in the 1st aspect, wherein the gas supplyheat quantity control unit makes the quantity of supply heat of the gaswhen no heat treatment for the object to be heated is needed smallerthan the quantity of supply heat of the gas when heat treatment for theobject to be heated is needed and controls the supply heat quantity ofthe gas so as to increase the supply heat quantity of the gas whensetting changing of a temperature of the heating chamber to anotherspecified temperature is executed further than the supply heat quantityof the gas when setting changing of the temperature of the heatingchamber is not executed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provideda heating apparatus as defined in the 1st aspect, wherein the gas supplyheat quantity control unit is a gas flow rate control unit, which makesthe quantity of supply heat of the gas when no heat treatment for theobject to be heated is needed smaller than the quantity of supply heatof the gas when heat treatment for the object to be heated is needed andcontrols the supply heat quantity of the gas so as to increase a supplyflow rate of the gas when setting changing of a temperature of theheating chamber to another specified temperature is executed furtherthan a supply flow rate of the gas when setting changing of thetemperature of the heating chamber is not executed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda heating apparatus comprising:

a conveyance section for conveying a bonding base object to which anelectronic component is bonded via an object to be heated;

a heating chamber for heating the object to be heated on the bondingbase object by supplying at a specified flow rate heated gas heated to aspecified temperature by a heating device as a heating source onto thebonding base object conveyed by the conveyance section; and

a gas flow rate control unit for controlling the gas supply flow rate soas to increase a supply flow rate of the gas when setting changing of atemperature of the heating chamber to another specified temperature isexecuted further than a supply flow rate of the gas when settingchanging of the temperature of the heating chamber is not executed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda heating apparatus as defined in any one of the 1st through 4thaspects, wherein

further comprising a bonding base object detecting unit for detectingpassing of the bonding base object through heating apparatus entranceand exit to detect presence or absence of the bonding base object insidethe heating apparatus by the bonding base object detecting unit,

the gas supply heat quantity control unit executes control so as todetermine that heat treatment for the object to be heated is needed upondetecting the presence of the bonding base object inside the heatingapparatus to supply a quantity of supply heat for heat treatment use asa quantity of supply heat of the gas and determine that no heattreatment for the object to be heated is needed upon detecting theabsence of the bonding base object inside the heating apparatus tosupply a quantity of standby supply heat smaller than the quantity ofsupply heat for heat treatment use as the quantity of supply heat of thegas.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is providedA heating apparatus as defined in the 5th aspect, wherein the gas supplyheat quantity control unit comprises a gas supply flow rate controlsection, which executes control so as to determine that heat treatmentfor the object to be heated is needed upon detecting the presence of thebonding base object inside the heating apparatus to supply a quantity ofsupply heat for heat treatment use as a quantity of supply heat of thegas and determine that no heat treatment for the object to be heated isneeded upon detecting the absence of the bonding base object inside theheating apparatus to supply a quantity of standby supply heat smallerthan the quantity of supply heat for heat treatment use as the quantityof supply heat of the gas.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a heating apparatus as defined in the 5th aspect, wherein thegas supply heat quantity control unit comprises a gas temperaturecontrol section, which executes control so as to determine that heattreatment for the object to be heated is needed upon detecting thepresence of the bonding base object inside the heating apparatus to heatthe heated gas to a temperature for heat treatment use as a quantity ofsupply heat of the gas and determine that no heat treatment for theobject to be heated is needed upon detecting the absence of the bondingbase object inside the heating apparatus to lower the temperature of theheated gas to a standby temperature lower than the temperature for heattreatment use as the quantity of supply heat of the gas.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a heating method comprising:

supplying at a specified flow rate heated gas heated to a specifiedtemperature as a heating source onto a bonding base object, which isconveyed by a conveyance section and to which an electronic component isbonded via an object to be heated, inside a heating chamber so as toheat the object to be heated on the bonding base object, and

controlling a quantity of supply heat of the gas so that a supply heatquantity of the gas when no heat treatment for the object to be heatedis needed is made smaller than a supply heat quantity of the gas whenheat treatment for the object to be heated is needed.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda heating method as defined in the 8th aspect, wherein, in executing thegas supply heat quantity control, the quantity of supply heat of the gaswhen no heat treatment for the object to be heated is needed is madesmaller than the quantity of supply heat of the gas when heat treatmentfor the object to be heated is needed, and the quantity of supply heatof the gas is controlled so as to increase the supply heat quantity ofthe gas when setting changing of a temperature of the heating chamber toanother specified temperature is executed further than the supply heatquantity of the gas when setting changing of the temperature of theheating chamber is not executed.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda heating method as defined in the 8th aspect, wherein, in executing thegas supply heat quantity control, the quantity of supply heat of the gaswhen no heat treatment for the object to be heated is needed is madesmaller than the quantity of supply heat of the gas when heat treatmentfor the object to be heated is needed, and the quantity of supply heatof the gas is controlled so as to increase the a supply flow rate of thegas when setting changing of a temperature of the heating chamber toanother specified temperature is executed further than a supply flowrate of the gas when setting changing of the temperature of the heatingchamber is not executed.

According to an 11th aspect of the present invention, there is provideda heating method comprising:

supplying at a specified flow rate heated gas heated to a specifiedtemperature as a heating source onto a bonding base object, which isconveyed by a conveyance section and to which an electronic component isbonded via an object to be heated, inside a heating chamber so as toheat the object to be heated on the bonding base object, and

controlling a quantity of supply heat of the gas so as to increase asupply flow rate of the gas when setting changing of a temperature ofthe heating chamber to another specified temperature is executed furtherthan a supply flow rate of the gas when setting changing of thetemperature of the heating chamber is not executed.

According to a 12th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method as defined in any one of the 8th through 11th aspects,wherein

whether or not the bonding base object has passed through an entranceand an exit of a heating apparatus including the heating chamber isdetected, and

in controlling the gas supply heat quantity, the control is executed soas to determine that heat treatment for the object to be heated isneeded upon detecting presence of the bonding base object within theheating method to supply a quantity of supply heat for heat treatmentuse as a quantity of supply heat of the gas and determine that no heattreatment for the object to be heated is needed upon detecting absenceof the bonding base object within the heating method to supply aquantity of standby supply heat smaller than the quantity of supply heatfor heat treatment use as the quantity of supply heat of the gas.

According to a 13th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method as defined in the 12th aspect, comprising a gas supplyflow rate control section, which executes control, when the gas supplyheat quantity is executed, so as to determine that heat treatment forthe object to be heated is needed upon detecting the presence of thebonding base object within the heating method to supply a quantity ofsupply heat for heat treatment use as a quantity of supply heat of thegas and determine that no heat treatment for the object to be heated isneeded upon detecting the absence of the bonding base object within theheating method to supply a quantity of standby supply heat smaller thanthe quantity of supply heat for heat treatment use as the quantity ofsupply heat of the gas.

According to a 14th aspect of the present invention, there is provided Aheating method as defined in the 12th aspect, comprising a gastemperature control section, which executes control, when the gas supplyheat quantity control is executed, so as to determine that heattreatment for the object to be heated is needed upon detecting thepresence of the bonding base object within the heating method to heatthe heated gas to a temperature for heat treatment use as a quantity ofsupply heat of the gas and determine that no heat treatment for theobject to be heated is needed upon detecting the absence of the bondingbase object within the heating method to lower the temperature of theheated gas to a standby temperature lower than the temperature for heattreatment use as the quantity of supply heat of the gas.

According to a 15th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined in any one of the 1st through 7th aspects,wherein

the conveyance section has a pair of rail sections to convey the bondingbase object, and

at least either one of the pair of rail sections of the conveyancesection is further provided with a heated gas flow path control memberfor changing to an inside of the heating chamber a flow path of theheated gas that tries to advance from the heating chamber toward anoutside of the heating chamber at a boundary between the heating chamberand the outside of the heating chamber.

According to a 16th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus comprising:

a conveyance section, having a pair of rail sections, for conveying abonding base object to which an electronic component is bonded via anobject to be heated;

a heating chamber for heating the object to be heated on the bondingbase object conveyed by the conveyance section by supplying heated gasheated to a specified temperature; and

a heated gas flow path control member for changing to an inside of theheating chamber a flow path of the heated gas that tries to advance fromthe heating chamber toward the outside of the heating chamber at aboundary between the heating chamber and an outside of the heatingchamber, the heated gas flow path control member being located at leasteither one of the pair of rail sections of the conveyance section.

According to a 17th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined in the 15th or 16th aspect, wherein theheated gas flow path control member is a shield plate, arranged justabove at least either one of the pair of rail sections of the conveyancesection and at the boundary between the heating chamber and the outsideof the heating chamber, for blocking the flow path of the heated gasthat tries to advance from the heating chamber toward the outside of theheating chamber.

According to an 18th aspect of the present invention, there is provideda heating apparatus as defined in the 15th or 16th aspect, wherein theheated gas flow path control member is a shield plate, which has acurved convex surface curved toward the outside of the heating chamberin a direction in which the bonding base object is conveyed and changesto the inside of the heating chamber the flow path of the heated gasthat tries to advance from the heating chamber toward the outside of theheating chamber along the curved surface of the shield plate.

According to a 19th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined in the 15th or 16th aspect, wherein atleast either one rail section of the pair of rail sections of theconveyance section is fixed, the other rail section is a movable railsection arranged movably in a direction in which the movable railsection moves close to or apart from the fixed rail section according toa width dimension of the bonding base object, and

the heated gas flow path control member is connected to the movable railsection so as to be integrally moved and comprised of a shield plate forclosing a region that belongs to the heating chamber and has no relationto board conveyance in an opening for conveying the bonding base object.

According to a 20th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined in any one of the 15th through 19thaspects, wherein the heated gas flow path control member has a heatinsulator for restraining heat conduction from the heated gas toward theoutside of the heating chamber.

According to a 21st aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined is in any one of the 15th through 20thaspects, wherein

the heated gas flow path control member is comprised of at least eitherone rail section of the pair of rail sections of the conveyance sectionwhose upper portion has a mountain-like cross-section shape, and makesthe heated gas flow downward from above along the mountain-like crosssection shape of the upper portion of the one rail section, blocking theheated gas from flowing toward the outside of the heating chamber alongan upper surface of the rail section.

According to a 22nd aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined in any one of the 15th through 20thaspects, wherein

the heated gas flow path control member is comprised of at least eitherone rail section of the pair of rail sections of the conveyance sectionwhose upper surface is sloped so as to be lowered toward an oppositeside of the bonding base object conveyed by the rail sections of theconveyance section.

According to a 23rd aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined in the 15th or 16th aspect, wherein theheated gas flow path control member is constructed so as to change tothe inside of the heating chamber the flow path of the heated gas thattries to advance from the heating chamber toward the outside of theheating chamber by a partition wall arranged at the boundary between theheating chamber and the outside of the heating chamber in at leasteither one of the pair of rail sections of the conveyance section.

According to a 24th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined in any one of the 1st through 7th aspectsand the 15th through 23rd aspects, wherein the object to be heated onthe bonding base object is a bonding material for bonding the electroniccomponent to the bonding base object.

According to a 25th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined in any one of the 1st through 7th aspectsand the 15th through 23rd aspects, wherein the object to be heated onthe bonding base object is a solder or an electronic componentfixing-thermosetting adhesive for bonding the electronic component tothe bonding base object or an electronic component encapsulation resinfor encapsulating the electronic component.

According to a 26th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method as defined in any one of the 11th through 14th aspects,wherein the flow path of the heated gas that tries to advance from theheating chamber toward the outside of the heating chamber is controlledso as to change to the inside of the heating chamber at a boundarybetween the heating chamber for heating the object to be heated on thebonding base object conveyed by the conveyance section that has a pairof rail sections by supplying the heated gas heated to the specifiedtemperature and the outside of the heating chamber in at least eitherone of the pair of rail sections of the conveyance section.

According to a 27th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method for executing control so that a flow path of heated gasthat tries to advance from a heating chamber toward an outside of theheating chamber is controlled so as to be changed to an inside of theheating chamber at a boundary between the heating chamber and theoutside of the heating chamber for heating the object to be heated onthe bonding base object which is conveyed by a conveyance section havinga pair of rail sections and to which an electronic component is bondedvia the object to be heated by supplying the heated gas heated to thespecified temperature in at least either one of the pair of railsections of the conveyance section.

According to a 28th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method as defined in the 26th or 27th aspect, wherein the flowpath of the heated gas that tries to advance from the heating chambertoward the outside of the heating chamber is blocked by a shield plate,which is arranged just above at least either one of the pair of railsections of the conveyance section and at the boundary between theheating chamber and the outside of the heating chamber in controllingthe heated gas flow path.

According to a 29th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method as defined in the 26th or 27th aspect, wherein the flowpath of the heated gas that tries to advance from the heating chambertoward the outside of the heating chamber is changed to the inside ofthe heating chamber by a shield plate, which has a curved convex surfacecurved toward the outside of the heating chamber in a direction in whichthe bonding base object is conveyed, along the curved surface of theshield plate in controlling the heated gas flow path.

According to a 30th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method as defined in the 26th or 27th aspect, wherein at leasteither one rail section of the pair of rail sections of the conveyancesection is fixed, the other rail section is a movable rail sectionarranged movably in a direction in which the movable rail section movesclose to or apart from the fixed rail section according to a widthdimension of the bonding base object, and

a region that belongs to the heating chamber and has no relation toboard conveyance in an opening for conveying the bonding base object isclosed by a shield plate connected to the movable rail section so as tobe integrally moved in controlling the heated gas flow path.

According to a 31st aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method as defined in any one of the 28th through 30th aspects,wherein heat conduction from the heated gas toward the outside of theheating chamber is restrained by a heat insulator of the shield plate inchanging to the inside of the heating chamber the flow path of theheated gas that tries to advance from the heating chamber toward theoutside of the heating chamber in controlling the heated gas flow path.

According to a 32nd aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method as defined in any one of the 26th through 31st aspects,wherein the heated gas flows downward from above along the mountain-likecross-section shape of the upper portion of at least either one railsection of the pair of rail sections of the conveyance section incontrolling the heated gas flow path, thus blocking the heated gas fromflowing toward the outside of the heating chamber along the rail sectionupper surface.

According to a 33rd aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating method as defined in any one of the 26th through 31st aspects,wherein at least either one rail section of the pair of rail sections ofthe conveyance section has an upper surface sloped so as to be loweredtoward an opposite side of the bonding base object conveyed by the railsections of the conveyance section, and the heated gas flows downwardfrom above along the slope of the upper surface of the one rail sectionin controlling the heated gas flow path, thus blocking the heated gasfrom flowing toward the outside of the heating chamber along the uppersurface of the one rail section.

According to a 34th aspect of the present the electronic component tothe bonding base object or an electronic component encapsulation resinfor encapsulating the electronic component.

According to a 37th aspect of the present invention, there is provided aheating apparatus as defined in any one of the 15th, 16th, and 18ththrough 25th aspects, wherein the heating chamber comprises apreparatory chamber for preliminarily heating the bonding base objectbefore heat treatment and a heating use heating chamber to subject thebonding base object heated preliminarily to heat treatment, and theheated gas flow path control member is respectively provided at anentrance of the preparatory chamber and an exit of the heating useheating chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and features of the present invention willbecome clear from the following description taken in conjunction withthe preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a reflow apparatus according to first, second,and third embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the reflow apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the construction of a control systemof the reflow apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the temperature profile of the reflowapparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the heated air temperatures of the chambers ofthe reflow apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an operation timing chart of the reflow apparatus of the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an operation timing chart of the reflow apparatus of the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an operation timing chart of the reflow apparatus of thesecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an operation timing chart of the reflow apparatus of the thirdembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a front view of a prior art reflow apparatus;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the reflow apparatus;

FIG. 12 is an operation timing chart of the prior art reflow apparatus;

FIG. 13 is an operation timing chart of the prior art reflow apparatus;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a non-circulation type heatingapparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a chart of intra-furnace atmospheric air flow provided by hotblast blowout in the non-circulation type heating apparatus of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a schematic side view of a far-infrared type heatingapparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a schematic front view of the far-infrared type heatingapparatus of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged schematic side view of a hot blast nozzle sectionof the far-infrared type heating apparatus of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a front view of a reflow apparatus serving as an example of aheating apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 20 is a side view of the reflow apparatus of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a side view of a conveyance section of the reflow apparatusof the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a front view of part of the conveyance section of the reflowapparatus of the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a graph showing the temperature profile of the reflowapparatus of the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a graph showing the heated air temperatures of the chambersof the reflow apparatus of the fourth embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 25 is a chart showing a heated air temperature when loading a boardinto the heating chamber of the reflow apparatus of the fourthembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a front view of part of the conveyance section of a reflowapparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a front view of part of the conveyance section of a reflowapparatus according to a modification example of the fifth embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 28 is a front view of part of the conveyance section of a reflowapparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 29A and FIG. 29B are a front view and a side view of part of theconveyance section of a reflow apparatus according to a seventhembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 30A and FIG. 30B are a front view and a side view of part of theconveyance section of a reflow apparatus according to an eighthembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 31 is a front view of part of the conveyance section of a reflowapparatus according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 32 is a side view of the conveyance section of FIG. 31;

FIG. 33 is a side view showing a conveyance unit of the conveyancesection of a general reflow apparatus;

FIG. 34 is a view of the principle of thermal interference between thechambers of a general reflow apparatus;

FIG. 35 is a perspective view for explaining the flow of heated air in areflow apparatus;

FIG. 36 is a schematic side view of yet another embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 37 is a schematic side view of yet another embodiment of thepresent invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it is to benoted that like parts are designated by like reference numeralsthroughout the accompanying drawings.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detailbelow with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a reflow apparatus for embodying a reflowapparatus and method as an example of a heating apparatus and methodaccording to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the reflow apparatus' having a conveyance section3 that conveys a bonding base object (object to be bonded) on whichelectronic components 2 a are mounted, four heating chambers 6 a, 6 b, 7a, and 7 b that include this conveyance section 3, provides a specifiedtemperature by supplying (in other words, supplying with circulation orsupplying without circulation) heated gas via a heating device (forexample, heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d), supplies at a specified flowrate the heated gas of a specified temperature as a heating source ontothe bonding base object, and heats and melts the object to be heatedsuch as solder on the bonding base object, a cooling chamber 9 that islocated adjacent to the heating chambers rearwardly in a direction inwhich the bonding base object is conveyed and cools and solidifies themelted solder, and circuit board passing monitor sensors 18 a and 18 b,which serve as an example of a board detecting unit for detecting thefact that the bonding base object has passed through apparatus entrance4 and exit 5, there is provided flow rate control units 14 and 21 forcontrolling the supply quantity of the gas until the heating chambercomes to have a specified temperature. This apparatus will be describedin concrete below with reference to the drawings.

The reflow apparatus of the first embodiment employs heated air as anexample of the heated gas and employs a circuit board as one example ofthe bonding base object on which components are mounted. However, thepresent invention is not limited to this and allowed to employ an inertgas such as nitrogen gas as another example of the heated gas.Furthermore, a component on which an electronic component can be mountedcan be employed as another example of the bonding base object. In thereflow apparatus of the first embodiment, the object to be heated isprovided as an example by solder paste as an example of the bondingmaterial for bonding the electronic component 2 a on the circuit board2. However, the present invention is not limited to this and allowed tobe an electronic component fixing use thermosetting adhesive or aconductive adhesive or an encapsulation resin of an electronic component(IC chip, for example). In the reflow apparatus of the first embodiment,the heating chamber is provided as an example by the four heatingchambers, i.e., the first preheating chamber 6 a, the second preheatingchamber 6 b, the first reflow heating chamber 7 a, and the second reflowheating chamber 7 b. However, the present invention is not limited tothis and allowed to be provided by one reflow heating chamber or onepreparatory chamber and one reflow heating chamber. As an example of theheating apparatus, the reflow apparatus for heating and melting thereflow-use solder on the bonding base object is provided as an example.However, the present invention is not limited to this and also allowedto be applied to a thermosetting apparatus for hardening an electroniccomponent fixing use thermosetting adhesive or a conductive adhesive oran encapsulation resin of an electronic component (IC chip, forexample).

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the reflow apparatus of the firstembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the construction of a control systemof the reflow apparatus of the first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the temperature profile of the reflowapparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention. Thistemperature profile can be varied depending on the type and material ofthe board, the type and the number of components mounted on the boardand so on. For example, the high temperature t2 can be set lower for asmall board by comparison with a large board. Basically, although onetemperature profile can be applied to a board of one type, onetemperature profile can be applied to boards of a plurality of types.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of the heated air temperatures ofthe heated gas in the respective chambers of the reflow apparatus of thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation timing chart of the reflow apparatus of the firstembodiment of the present invention when the temperature rises.

FIG. 7 is an operation timing chart of the reflow apparatus of the firstembodiment of the present invention when the temperature falls.

As shown in FIG. 2, the reflow apparatus has a conveyance section 3 suchas a chain conveyor for conveying a circuit board 2 from an entrance 4to the exit 5 of the reflow apparatus 1 and a first preheating chamber 6a, a second preheating chamber 6 b, a first reflow heating chamber 7 a,a second reflow heating chamber 7 b, and a cooling chamber 8, which arearranged from the entrance 4 side to the exit 5 side and constitute afurnace section 1 a. As shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the first andsecond preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflowheating chambers 7 a and 7 b have sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12d for circulating air, and hot blast circulating units 14 provided withheaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d for heating the circulating air 13. Oneexample of a gas supply heat quantity control unit is constructed ofthis hot blast circulating units 14 and a controller 21. These foursirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d are supplied with electric powerfrom a power supply source 15 b via one or more inverters 20 forrevolution number control. It is to be noted that setting of theinverter 20 is controlled by the controller 21, and an example of a gassupply flow rate control section is constructed of the inverter 20 andthe controller 21. The heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d are supplied withelectric power from a power supply source 15 avia thermoregulators 19 a,19 b, 19 c, and 19 d, which are arranged above the conveyance section 3and in the first preheating chamber 6 a, the second preheating chamber 6b, the first reflow heating chamber 7 a, and the second reflow heatingchamber 7 b and controlled by the controller 21. An example of the gastemperature control section is constructed of the controller 21 and thethermoregulators 19 a, 19 b, 19 c, and 19 d. It is to be noted thattemperature management sensors 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, and 17 d connected tothe controller 21 are arranged above the conveyance section 3 and in thefirst preheating chamber 6 a, the second preheating chamber 6 b, thefirst reflow heating chamber 7 a, and the second reflow heating chamber7 b, and the heating chamber and preheating chamber atmospherictemperatures are controlled by the controller 21.

A hot blast outlet port 14 a of this hot blast circulating unit 14 islocated above the conveyance section 3 and blows heated air against theupper surface of the circuit board 2. On the other hand, a hot blastinlet port 14 b of the hot blast circulating unit 14 is located belowthe conveyance section 3 and takes in the heated air.

The cooling chamber 8 is constructed of a fresh air intake port 11 a anda cooling use axial flow fan 11.

Further, passing monitor sensors 18 a and 18 b of the circuit board 2are placed at the reflow apparatus entrance 4 and the exit 5,respectively. The passing monitor sensors 18 a and 18 b are eachconnected to the controller 21, and passing signals output from thepassing monitor sensors 18 a and 18 b are inputted to the controller 21.

Next, when subjecting the circuit board 2 to a reflow process in thereflow apparatus 1, the circuit board 2 on the upper surface of whichthe components 2 a are mounted on the solder paste is conveyed from theentrance 4 to the exit 5 by the conveyance section 3.

In this case, when the circuit board 2 passes sequentially through thefirst preheating chamber 6 a, the second preheating chamber 6 b, thefirst reflow heating chamber 7 a, and the second reflow heating chamber7 b, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the solder is preliminarily heatedto a temperature of about 150° C. in a preheating interval T1 inside thefirst and second preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b. The board is heated toa temperature of about 220° C. in a reflow heating interval T2 insidethe first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b so as to heatthe solder to a melting temperature for melting, and the melted solderis cooled and solidified by the cooling of the cooling chamber 8. In theabove stage, the temperatures of the heaters 9 a and 9 b of the firstand second preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b, the flow rates of thesirocco fans 12 a and 12 b, the temperatures of the heaters 9 c and 9 dof the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b, and theflow rates of the sirocco fans 12 c and 12 d are set by the controller21 to the respective temperatures and flow rates corresponding to thethermal capacity of the circuit board 2 to be subjected to the reflowprocess. That is, the temperature of the heated air in each chamber,i.e., the atmospheric temperature in each chamber is controlled to atemperature corresponding to the thermal capacity of the circuit board 2as shown in FIG. 6 in reflow apparatus starting and preparing processes.According to the present first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, thesensors 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, and 17 d of the preheating chambers 6 a and 6b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b areconnected to the controller 21. By controlling the respective heaters 9a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d via a thermoregulator 20 with the controller 21,the heated air temperature of each chamber is controlled.

In the reflow apparatus of the first embodiment, the consumption powercan be reduced by setting the temperature of each chamber lower than aspecified heat treatment temperature and maintaining the temperaturewhen the circuit board 2 is not subjected to the reflow process.Therefore, subjecting the circuit board 2 to the reflow process isaccompanied by temperature setting changing of the first and secondpreheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heatingchambers 7 a and 7 b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, when changing theatmospheric temperatures of the first and second preheating chambers 6 aand 6 b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 bfrom the low temperature t1 to the high temperature t2 by switching theREADY signal that is the loading enable signal from ON (circuit boardloading enable state) to OFF (circuit board loading disable state), thecontroller 21 switches the flow rates of the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12c, and 12 d from a specified flow rate Q1 for reflow process to aspecified flow rate Q2 (note that Q2>Q1) for setting changing by theinverter 20 to increase the amounts of circulating air that respectivelypass through the heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d, thereby increasing thequantities of heat to be supplied to the preheating chambers 6 a and 6 band the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b. This canreduce the time during which the atmospheric temperatures of thepreheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heatingchambers 7 a and 7 b reach the specified setting changing temperature ofthe high temperature t2 from the low temperature t1. Furthermore, byincreasing the quantity of supply heat, the rise in the furnace walltemperature of the inner walls constituting the preheating chambers 6 aand 6 b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b isalso accelerated, and this can reduce the time during which the furnacewall temperatures of the inner walls of the preheating chambers 6 a and6 b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b reachthe thermal equilibrium state at the high temperature t2 from the lowtemperature t1.

It is to be noted that the low temperature t1 and the high temperaturet2 mean neither same low temperature t1 and same high temperature t2 inall the chambers of the first and second preheating chambers 6 a and 6 band the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b nor samelow temperature t1 and same high temperature t2 of the atmospherictemperature and the furnace wall temperature in each chamber. Thetemperatures t1 and t2 mean respective low temperatures t1 and hightemperatures t2 of the chambers and respective low temperatures t1 andhigh temperatures t2 of the atmospheric temperature and the furnace walltemperature in each chamber. The first and second preheating chambers 6a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 bmay have utterly different low temperatures t1. The preheating chambersand the reflow heating chambers may have respective same lowtemperatures t1. The first and second preheating chambers 6 a and 6 band the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b may haveutterly different high temperatures t2. The preheating chambers and thereflow heating chambers may have respective same high temperature t2.The flow rate Q1 and the flow rate Q2 do not mean same flow rate Q1 andsame flow rate Q2 in all the chambers of the first and second preheatingchambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7a and 7 b but mean respective flow rates Q1 and flow rates Q2 in thechambers. The first and second preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and thefirst and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b may have utterlydifferent flow rates Q1. The preheating chambers and the reflow heatingchambers may have respective same flow rates Q1. The first and secondpreheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heatingchambers 7 a and 7 b may have utterly different flow rates Q2. Thepreheating chambers and the reflow heating chambers may have respectivesame flow rates Q2.

With the above-mentioned arrangement, when the temperature managementsensors 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, and 17 d detect that the atmospherictemperatures of the preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first andsecond reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b have reached the hightemperature t2 of the specified temperature, the respective flow ratesof the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d are switched from thesetting changing-use specified flow rate Q2 to the reflow process-usespecified flow rate Q1 under the control of the controller 21, thusstabilizing the flow of the circulating air. Therefore, a timer providedinside the controller 20 counts an arbitrary time (one to two minutes,for example) for the stabilization of the furnace wall temperatures ofthe preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflowheating chambers 7 a and 7 b at the high temperature t2 of the specifiedtemperature, and thereafter, the is controller 21 outputs a reflowprocess enable signal to the conveyance section 3 or the unit located onthe upstream side (i.e., the READY signal that is the loading enablesignal is turned ON). It is to be noted that the reflow process flowspecified rate Q1 is set to a flow rate at which the flow of thecirculating air is stabilized and the reflow process is smoothlyexecuted.

Conversely, when changing the setting of the atmospheric temperatures ofthe first and second preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first andsecond reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b from the high temperature t2to the low temperature t1 by switching the READY signal that is theloading enable signal from ON ((circuit board loading enable state) toOFF (circuit board loading disable state) as shown in FIG. 7 in changingthe type of the circuit board to be subjected to heat treatment or in asimilar case, the controller 21 switches the respective flow rates ofthe sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d from the reflow process-usespecified flow rate Q1 to the setting changing-use specified flow rateQ2 (note that Q2>Q1) by the inverter 20 to increase the amounts ofcirculating air passing through the heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d,thereby accelerating the cooling by the circulating air in thepreheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heatingchambers 7 a and 7 b. This can reduce the time required for theatmospheric temperatures of the preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and thefirst and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b to reach the lowtemperature t1 of the specified setting changing temperature from thehigh temperature t2. Furthermore, by accelerating the cooling of thecirculating air, the fall of the furnace wall temperatures of therespective inner wall surfaces constituting the preheating chambers 6 aand 6 b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b isalso accelerated, and the time when the furnace wall temperatures of therespective inner wall surfaces of the preheating chambers 6 a and 6 band the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b reach thethermal equilibrium state at the low temperature t2 from the hightemperature t2 can be shortened.

When the respective temperature management sensors 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, and17 d detect that the respective atmospheric temperatures of thepreheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heatingchambers 7 a and 7 b have reached the low temperature t1 of thespecified temperature, the respective flow rates of the sirocco fans 12a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d are switched from the setting changing-usespecified flow rate Q2 to the reflow process-use specified flow rate Q1under the control of the controller 21, stabilizing the flow of thecirculating air. Therefore, a timer provided inside the controller 21counts an arbitrary time (one to two minutes, for example) for thestabilization of the furnace wall temperatures of the preheatingchambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7a and 7 b at the low temperature t1 of the specified temperature, andthereafter, the controller 21 outputs a reflow process enable signal tothe conveyance section 3 or the unit located on the upstream side (i.e.,the READY signal that is the loading enable signal is turned ON).

It is to be noted that the setting changing-use specified flow rate Q2may be varied without being limited to same flow rate when raising eachatmospheric temperature from the low temperature to the high temperatureand when conversely lowering the temperature from the low temperature tothe high temperature.

According to the above-mentioned construction, the quantities of supplyheat can be controlled by controlling the flow rates of the heated airso as to increase the amounts of circulating air passing through theheaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d by the switching of the respective flowrates of the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d to the settingchanging-use specified flow rate Q2 greater than the reflow process-usespecified flow rate Q1 by the inverter 20 under the controller 21 whenchanging the setting of the atmospheric temperatures of the first andsecond preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflowheating chambers 7 a and 7 b, and the time required for each heatingchamber to reach the specified temperature can be concurrently reduced,improving the productivity. Furthermore, the time required for thechanging of the temperature setting of the preheating chambers 6 a and 6b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b isreduced, for which a reflow apparatus of a reduced consumption power canbe provided. As an example, the time required for each heating chamberto reach the specified temperature can be reduced to about five minutesto 10 minutes in the present embodiment in contrast to the fact thatabout 30 minutes to 45 minutes have conventionally been required.

Since the atmospheric temperatures of the chambers can be changed andset within a short time as described above, by making the quantity ofsupply heat of the gas when no reflow process is needed for the circuitboard 2 smaller than the quantity of supply heat of the gas when thereflow process of the circuit board 2 is needed so as to increase thequantity of supply heat of the gas when the reflow process of thecircuit board 2 is needed, the required quantity of supply heat of thegas can be secured in a short time without largely impairing theproductivity. Therefore, the quantity of supply heat of the gas when thereflow process of the circuit board 2 is not needed or in a standbystage can be reduced, allowing the consumption power to be reduced.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 8 shows an operation timing chart of a reflow apparatus and methodaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the present second embodiment is to input to thecontroller 20 signals detected by circuit board passing monitor sensors18 a and 18 b (see FIG. 2) located at the entrance 4 and the exit 5 ofthe reflow apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, detect the presence orabsence of a circuit board 2 in the reflow apparatus and change the flowrates of the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d.

As shown in FIG. 8, when no circuit board 2 exists inside the reflowapparatus 1, the controller 21 switches the flow rates of the siroccofans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d from the reflow process-use specifiedflow rate Q1 to a standby flow rate Q3 (note that Q3<Q1) to reduce theamounts of circulating air passing through the heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c,and 9 d, thereby reducing the quantities of heat to be supplied to thepreheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heatingchambers 7 a and 7 b. In this stage, the standby flow rate Q3 is set sothat the furnace wall temperatures of the respective inner walls of thepreheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heatingchambers 7 a and 7 b are maintained at the specified temperature of thereflow process. In this stage, the quantities of heat to be supplied tothe preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflowheating chambers 7 a and 7 b are reduced from those of the reflowprocess. Therefore, a consumption power W2 of the heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c,and 9 d becomes smaller than a consumption power W1 when the flow ratesof the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d is the reflow process-usespecified flow rate Q1.

When the circuit board passing monitor sensor 18 a at the entrance 4detects the passing of the circuit board 2, the controller 21 restoresthe flow rates of the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d from thestandby flow rate Q3 to the reflow process-use specified flow rate Q1.That is, the controller 21 executes control so that the amounts ofcirculating air are restored from Q3 to Q1 when the circuit board 2 isconveyed by the conveyance.section 3 and enters the preparatory chamber6 a that is the first preheating chamber after the circuit board passingmonitor sensor 18 a at the entrance 4 detects the passing of the circuitboard 2. The flow rate Q3 in this stage is made, for example, about onehalf of the reflow process-use specified flow rate Q1.

With regard to these operations, an operator is allowed to confirm thepresence or absence of the circuit board 2 inside the apparatus andmanually change the flow rate setting of the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12c, and 12 d.

According to the above construction, the quantity of supply heat can becontrolled by executing control so as to switch the flow rates of theheated air to the standby flow rate Q3 smaller than the reflowprocess-use specified flow rate Q1 when no circuit board 2 exists insidethe apparatus, and this allows a reflow apparatus of a reducedconsumption power to be provided.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 9 is an operation timing chart of a reflow apparatus and methodaccording to a third embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the present third embodiment is to input to thecontroller 20 signals detected by circuit board passing monitor sensors18 a and 18 b located at the entrance 4 and the exit 5 of the reflowapparatus 1 of the first embodiment, detect the presence or absence of acircuit board 2 in the reflow apparatus and switch the settingtemperatures of the preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first andsecond reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b from a high temperature t3 toa low temperature t4.

As shown in FIG. 9, when no circuit board 2 exists inside the reflowapparatus 1, the controller 21 switches the heating temperatures of theheaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d from a reflow process-use specifiedtemperature t3 to a standby temperature t4 (note that t4<t3) to lowerthe respective atmospheric temperatures of the preheating chambers 6 aand 6 b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b,thereby reducing the load of the heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d. In thisstage, the flow rates of the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d aremaintained at the reflow process flow rate(s). In this stage, thequantities of heat to be supplied to the preheating chambers 6 a and 6 band the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b are reducedfrom those of the reflow process. Therefore, the consumption power W2 ofthe heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d becomes smaller than the consumptionpower W1 when the flow rates of the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and12 d are the reflow process-use specified flow rate Q1.

When the circuit board passing monitor sensor 18 a at the entrance 4detects the passing of the circuit board 2, the controller 21 restoresthe heating temperatures of the heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d from thestandby temperature t4 to the reflow process-use specified temperaturet3.

With regard to these operations, an operator is allowed to confirm thepresence or absence of the circuit board 2 inside the reflow apparatus 1and manually change the setting temperatures of the heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9c, and 9 d of the preheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the first andsecond reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b.

According to the above construction, the quantities of supply heat canbe controlled by switching the heating temperatures of the heaters 9 a,9 b, 9 c, and 9 d from the reflow process-use specified temperature t3to the standby temperature t4 for the control of the temperatures of theheated air when no circuit board 2 exists inside the apparatus, and thisallows a reflow apparatus of a reduced consumption power to be provided.

In each of the aforementioned embodiments, it is allowed to control thequantities of heat to be supplied into the heating chambers bycontrolling the flow rates of the heating chambers, i.e., the preheatingchambers 6 a and 6 b and the first and second reflow heating chambers 7a and 7 b by means of the reflow apparatus 1, stabilize the heatingchambers at the specified temperatures, and perform soldering of theelectronic components 2 a onto the circuit board 2 by melting the solderon arbitrary fabricating conditions. However, the present invention isnot limited to this, and it is also possible to employ an electroniccomponent fixing-use thermosetting adhesive or an encapsulation resin ofan electronic component (an IC chip, for example) as an object to beheated, preheat the thermosetting adhesive or encapsulation resin in thepreheating chambers 6 a and 6 b, and thereafter harden the thermosettingadhesive or encapsulation resin in the first and second reflow heatingchambers, i.e., the hardening-use heating chambers 7 a and 7 b in thisexample even with a similar structure.

The above-mentioned heating apparatus and method can obtain operationsand effects similar to those of the aforementioned embodiments.

It is to be noted that the present invention is not limited to theaforementioned embodiments and allowed to be embodied in a variety ofother forms.

For example, it is also possible to individually control the flow ratesof the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d in the preheating chamber6 a, the preheating chamber 6 b, the first reflow heating chamber 7 a,and the second reflow heating chamber 7 b. It is also possible toindividually control the flow rates of the sirocco fans 12 c and 12 d inthe first reflow heating chamber 7 a and the second reflow heatingchamber 7 b without any change in the preheating chamber 6 a and thepreheating chamber 6 b. It is also possible to execute control so as tosequentially reduce the flow rates of the sirocco fans 12 a, 12 b, 12 c,and 12 d in the preheating chamber 6 a, the preheating chamber 6 b, thefirst reflow heating chamber 7 a, and the second reflow heating chamber7 b in the heat treatment standby stage.

The present invention can also be applied to the case where heated airis supplied as shown in FIG. 14 through FIG. 15 instead of circulatingthe heated air as shown in FIG. 1. That is, FIG. 14 shows theconstruction of the nozzle section of a non-circulation type heatingapparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 14, reference numeral 202 a denotes a panel heater, 202 b denotes anozzle, 16 a and 16 b denote board conveyance sections, 2 denotes anelectronic component mounting board, and 202 e denotes an array of smallholes formed in the nozzle 202 b. Reference numeral 202 f denotes aheater. Externally supplied air is heated to a specified temperature bythe heater 202 f. This heated air passes through the nozzle 202 b and isblown as hot blast from the array of small holes 202 e. The electroniccomponent mounting board 2, which passes through each heating zone bythe conveyance sections 16 a and 16 b, is heated from inside and fromoutside the surface of the board 2 by means of both heating by infraredrays radiated from the panel heater 202 a onto the upper and lowersurfaces and heating by heat transfer effected by hot blast that servesas a medium and is blown from the nozzle 202 b in such a manner. FIG. 15is a hot blast blowing nozzle shown in FIG. 14. In the figure, referencenumeral 205 a denotes a hot blast blowing hole formed at an angle of 45°with respect to the panel heater. Reference numeral 2 denotes theelectronic component mounting board conveyed into the furnace. Thearrows in the figure indicate the flow of air inside the furnace. Thearrow 205 c indicates the flow of hot blast of a constant temperatureblown against the conveyance surface from the nozzle 202 b, while thearrow 205 d indicates the flow of atmosphere obtained by the reboundinghot blast blown from the nozzle 202 b. The thick arrow 205 e indicatesthe flow of the intra-furnace atmosphere formed by the hot blast blowinghole 205 a. According to the above construction, when the board 2 isconveyed into the furnace, the board 2 is heated by the hot blast 205 cof the constant temperature and the infrared rays radiated from thepanel heater 205 f. A hot blast 205 d, which have conducted heat to theboard 2 and then cooled, stays inside the furnace, but it is speedilydischarged as an exhaust 205 g out of the furnace by an air flow 205 e.By this operation, the intra-furnace atmospheric temperature is notlowered by the loading of the board 2, and therefore, the temperature ofthe panel heater 205 f also becomes stable. Therefore, the board 2 canbe heated by the hot blast of a constant temperature and the infraredrays from the panel heater of a constant temperature. Thus, an identicaltemperature profile can consistently be obtained in soldering the board2 even if boards 2 are continuously conveyed successively into thefurnace. Furthermore, with the structure in which the atmosphereconsistently circulates inside the furnace, the evaporated mattergenerated in the heating stage by the solder paste board 2 is also veryspeedily discharged. Therefore, every one of the aforementionedembodiments of the present invention can be applied to not only thecirculation type heating apparatus of FIG. 1 but also thenon-circulation type heating apparatus as shown in FIG. 14.

As yet another embodiment of the present invention, there may be anapplication of a far-infrared ray type heating apparatus as shown inFIG. 16 through FIG. 18. That is, a far-infrared ray heater 401 can alsobe controlled similarly to the aforementioned heater. In the figures,400 denotes a hot blast nozzle, 402 denotes a hot blast, and 403 denotesa far-infrared ray radiant heat. In this case, it is preferable tocontrol the temperatures of the far-infrared ray heaters 401 at least inthe first reflow heating chamber 7 a and the second reflow heatingchamber 7 b so as to reduce the temperatures in the standby stage.

Each of the aforementioned embodiments stands by until a specified timeelapses according to the timer until the furnace wall temperaturereaches the specified temperature. However, the present invention is notlimited to this, and it is acceptable to provide each chamber with afurnace wall temperature sensor 117 and output a reflow process enablesignal under the control of the controller 21 upon detecting that thefurnace wall temperature has reached the specified temperature by thefurnace wall temperature sensor 117, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. Withthis arrangement, it is acceptable to output the reflow process enablesignal when the furnace wall temperature sensor 117 detects that thefurnace wall temperature has reached a tolerated range on the way to theachievement of the specified temperature even if the furnace walltemperature does not completely reach the specified temperature. The airflow rate of the cooling chamber 8 of each embodiment may also besubjected to similar control.

Each of the aforementioned embodiments is not limited to the board onwhich components are mounted. By applying each embodiment to the heattreatment of, for example, a wafer to which a substrate for interposeris bonded via bonding materials such as solder bumps in a wafer state, awafer having bonding materials such as component mounting bumps in astate in which no component is mounted or the like and by controllingthe quantity of supply heat (flow rate or temperature, for example) ofthe gas so that the quantity of supply heat (flow rate or temperature,for example) of the gas when no heat treatment is needed for the objectto be heated is made smaller than the quantity of supply heat (flow rateor temperature, for example) of the gas when heat treatment is neededfor the object to be heated in an optimum state for the board, wafer,component, and bonding material, the consumption power when no heattreatment for the bonding base object is needed can be reduced.Otherwise, by controlling the quantity of supply heat (flow rate, forexample) of the gas so that the quantity of supply heat (flow rate, forexample) of the gas is increased from the quantity of supply heat (flowrate, for example) of the gas when no setting changing of thetemperature of the heating chamber is executed in changing the settingof the temperature of the heating chamber to another specifiedtemperature for the setting changing of the atmospheric temperature ofthe heating chamber, the time required for the heating chamber to reachthe specified temperature can be reduced. This improves the productivityand further reduces the time required for the setting temperaturechanging of the heating chamber, and therefore, the consumption powercan be reduced. Therefore, in the control operation of the quantity ofsupply heat of the gas by the aforementioned heating apparatus andheating method, the heating control can also be executed with higheraccuracy while taking the heat resistance temperature of the bondingbase object such as a board and a component into consideration, and thegeneration of considerable warp of the bonding base object such as awafer due to heat can also be restrained. Heating of the bondingmaterials such as solder and adhesive serving as the object to be heatedcan also be controlled to their respective optimum temperatures withhigh accuracy.

An experiment has proved the fact as follows. In the reflow apparatus ofthe aforementioned embodiment, within a temperature setting changingrange of about 30° C. by switching the flow rate of the sirocco fans toa flow rate that is 1.2 to 1.5 times as large as the flow rate in thetemperature setting changing stage, if the preheating chambers and thefirst and second reflow preheating chambers become internally thermallysaturated, the flow rates of the sirocco fans are switched to the reflowprocess-use specified flow rates and the flows of the circulating airthereof and the temperatures inside the preheating chambers and thefirst and second reflow heating chambers are stabilized, then variationsin the reflow process peak temperature of the circuit board with respectto the interval between circuit boards and a change in time falls withina range of about 3° C. immediately after the restoration of the flowrates of the sirocco fans, allowing a stable reflow process to beexecuted. In this stage, there are proved the effect of reducing thesetting changing time from the room temperature from about 40 minutes inthe conventional case to about 30 minutes (about 25% reduction) inrelation to the apparatus consumption power as well as the effect ofreducing the quantity of the consumption power from about 14 kWH toabout 10 kWH (about 40% reduction).

Furthermore, the effects are great when the temperature changing rangeis about 30° C., and there is proved the effect of reducing the settingchanging time from about 40 minutes in the conventional case to about 10minutes (about 75% reduction).

According to other experiments, the consumption power is reduced fromabout 6 kWH to about 5 kWH by reducing the flow rates of the siroccofans by 20% to 25% in the standby stage by comparison with that of thereflow process, proving the effect of reduction by about 1 kW (about 10%reduction). Also in this case, it is proved that the variations in thereflow process peak temperature of the circuit board with respect to theinterval between circuit boards and a change in time falls within arange of about 3° C. immediately after the restoration of the flow ratesof the sirocco fans, allowing a stable reflow process to be executed.

According to the present invention, by controlling the quantity ofsupply heat (flow rate or temperature, for example) of the gas so thatthe quantity of supply heat (flow rate or temperature, for example) ofthe heated gas when no heat treatment is needed for the object to beheated is made smaller than the quantity of supply heat (flow rate ortemperature, for example) of the gas when heat treatment is needed forthe object to be heated, the consumption power when no heat treatmentfor the bonding base object is needed can be reduced.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, if the quantity ofsupply heat (flow rate, for example) of the gas is controlled so thatthe quantity of supply heat (flow rate, for example) of the gas isincreased from the quantity of supply heat (flow rate, for example) ofthe gas when no setting changing of the temperature of the heatingchamber is executed in changing the setting of the temperature of theheating chamber to another specified temperature for the settingchanging of the atmospheric temperature of the heating chamber, the timerequired for the heating chamber to reach the specified temperature canbe reduced. This improves the productivity and further reduces the timerequired for the setting temperature changing of the heating chamber,and therefore, the consumption power can be reduced.

According to the present invention, with the above-mentionedconstruction, it is detected whether the bonding base object has passedthrough the entrance and exit of the heating apparatus including theheating chamber. Gas supply heat quantity control is executed so as todetermine that heat treatment for the object to be heated is needed upondetecting the presence of the bonding base object within the heatingmethod to supply a quantity of supply heat (flow rate or temperature,for example) for heat treatment use as the quantity of supply heat (flowrate or temperature, for example) of the gas and determine that no heattreatment for the object to be heated is needed upon detecting theabsence of the bonding base object within the heating method to supply aquantity of standby supply heat (flow rate or temperature, for example)smaller than the quantity of supply heat (flow rate or temperature, forexample) of the gas. By this control, the standby supply heat (flow rateor temperature, for example) of the gas can be reduced and theconsumption power can be reduced.

A reflow apparatus as an example for embodying a heating apparatus andheating method according to a fourth embodiment of the present inventionwill be described with reference to FIG. 19 through FIG. 22.

As shown in FIG. 19, the reflow apparatus is a reflow apparatus providedwith a conveyance section 3 for conveying a bonding base object on whichelectronic components 2 a are mounted; four heating chambers 6 a, 6 b, 7a, and 7 b that include this conveyance section 3, provides a specifiedtemperature by supplying (in other words, supplying with circulation orsupplying without circulation) heated gas via heating devices (forexample, heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 d), supplies at a specified flowrate the heated gas of a specified temperature as a heating source ontothe bonding base object, and heats the object to be heated such assolder on the bonding base object; a cooling chamber 8 that is locatedadjacent to the heating chambers rearwardly in a direction in which thebonding base object is conveyed and cools and solidifies melted solder;and circuit board detecting devices 18 a and 18 b for detecting the factthat the bonding base object has passed through apparatus entrance 4 andexit 5.

The reflow apparatus of the fourth embodiment employs heated air as anexample of the heated gas and employs a circuit board as an example ofthe bonding base object on which components are mounted. However, thepresent invention is not limited to this and allowed to employ an inertgas such as nitrogen gas as another example of the heated gas.Furthermore, a component on which an electronic component can be mountedcan be employed as another example of the bonding base object. In thereflow apparatus of the fourth embodiment, the object to be heated issolder paste taken as an example of the bonding material for bonding theelectronic component 2 a to the circuit board 2. However, the presentinvention is not limited to this and allowed to employ an electroniccomponent fixing use thermosetting adhesive or a conductive adhesive oran encapsulation resin of an electronic component (IC chip, forexample). Furthermore, in the reflow apparatus of the fourth embodiment,the heating chamber is provided by the four heating chambers, i.e., thefirst preheating chamber 6 a, the second preheating chamber 6 b, thefirst reflow heating chamber 7 a, and the second reflow heating chamber7 b as one example. However, the present invention is not limited tothis and allowed to employ one reflow heating chamber or a combinationof one preparatory chamber and one reflow heating chamber. As an exampleof the heating apparatus, the reflow apparatus for heating and meltingthe reflow-use solder on the bonding base object is taken as an example.However, the present invention is not limited to this and also allowedto be applied to a thermal hardening apparatus for hardening anelectronic component fixing use thermosetting adhesive or a conductiveadhesive or an encapsulation resin of an electronic component (IC chip,for example).

As shown in FIG. 19, the reflow apparatus has a conveyance section 3such as a belt conveyor for conveying a circuit board 2 from theentrance 4 to the exit 5 of the reflow apparatus 1 as well as a firstpreheating chamber 6 a, a second preheating chamber 6 b, a first reflowheating chamber 7 a, and a second reflow heating chamber 7 b and acooling chamber 8, which are arranged in this order from the entrance 4side to the exit 5 side and which constructed the furnace section la. Asshown in FIG. 20, the first and second preheating chambers 6 a and 6 band the first and second reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b have hotblast circulating units 14 each of which has a sirocco fan 12 (12 a, 12b, 12 c, 12 d) for circulating air and heaters 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and 9 dfor heating the circulating air 13. The heater 9 and the sirocco fan 12are supplied with electric power from electric power supply sources 15 aand 15 b, respectively. A hot blast outlet port 14 a of this hot blastcirculating unit 14 is located above the conveyance section 3 and blowsheated air against the upper surface of the circuit board 2. On theother hand, a hot blast inlet port 14 b of the hot blast circulatingunit 14 is located below the conveyance section 3 and takes in theheated air. The cooling chamber 8 is constructed of a fresh air intakeport 11 a and a cooling-use axial flow fan 11.

The feature of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference toFIG. 21. FIG. 21 is a sectional view of the conveyance section 3 in thevicinity of the boundary between chambers, or for example, the boundarybetween the first reflow heating chamber 7 a and the second reflowheating chamber 7 b. In the conveyance section 3, sprockets 19 a and 19b are rotatably fixed to a pair of rail sections 16 a and 16 b arrangedin correspondence with both side ends of the board 2. The circuit board2 is conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the figure by chains 20 aand 20 b engaged and supported by sprockets 19 a and 19 b.

The feature of the fourth embodiment is that shield plates 217 a and 217b serving as an example of the heated gas flow path control member areprovided above the pair of rail sections 16 a and 16 b of the conveyancesection 3. The shield plates 217 a and 217 b are each provided with aflat surface section 218 that extends in a direction perpendicular tothe lengthwise direction of the rail sections 16 a and 16 b, and afastening section 219 that protrudes from the flat surface section 218,extends in the lengthwise direction of the rail sections 16 a and 16 band is fixed to the rail sections 16 a and 16 b. This flat surfacesection 218 is to close a space above each rail section at the boundarybetween the heating chamber and the outside of the heating chamber (inother words, the boundary between adjoining heating chambers, i.e., theboundary between adjoining preheating chambers, the boundary betweenadjoining preheating chamber and reflow heating chamber, the boundarybetween adjoining reflow heating chambers, the boundary betweenadjoining reflow heating chamber and cooling chamber, the boundarybetween the cooling chamber and the atmosphere outside the reflowapparatus and so on) and thus blocks the flow of heated air that triesto advance from each heating chamber toward the outside of the heatingchamber via the space above each rail section. That is, as shown in FIG.22, for example, in a left-hand heating chamber (second reflow heatingchamber 7 b, as an example), the path 22 of the heated air, which triesto flow along the upper surface of the rail section toward the outsideof the heating chamber (the right-hand heating chamber (first reflowheating chamber 7 a, as an example) in FIG. 22) is blocked by the shieldplates 217 a and 217 b. It is to be noted that reference numeral 21denotes a board conveyance opening formed at a partition wall 220 forpartitioning the heating chambers of the furnace section 1 and connectsadjoining heating chambers.

As shown in FIG. 19, it is effective to arrange the shield plates 217 aand 217 b at least in a portion which belongs to the reflow apparatus 1and in which a temperature difference becomes large, i.e., at theentrance of the first preparatory chamber 6 a and the exit of the secondreflow heating chamber 7 b of the reflow apparatus 1. It is morepreferable to arrange the shield plates at the boundary between thefirst preparatory chamber 6 a and the second preparatory chamber 6 b,the boundary between the second preparatory chamber 6 a and the firstreflow heating chamber 7 a, and the boundary between the first reflowheating chamber 7 a and the second reflow heating chamber 7 b.

Although the flat surface sections 218 of the shield plates 217 a and217 b extend in the direction perpendicular to the board conveyancedirection, the sections are not necessarily arranged perpendicular tothe board conveyance direction. As described above, the shield platesmay be extended in a direction intersecting the board conveyancedirection at an arbitrary angle if the flow of the heated air directedtoward the outside of the heating chamber can be blocked.

The operation of the present fourth embodiment in the case where thecircuit board 2 is subjected to the reflow process in the reflowapparatus 1 will be described next with reference to FIG. 19 throughFIG. 25.

In FIG. 19 and FIG. 20, the circuit board 2 having an upper surface onwhich the components 2 a are placed on solder pastes is conveyed fromthe entrance 4 to the exit 5 of the reflow apparatus 1 by the conveyancesection 3.

In this case, the circuit board 2, which sequentially passes through thefirst preheating chamber 6 a, the second preheating chamber 6 b, thefirst reflow heating chamber 7 a, and the second reflow heating chamber7 b, is heated as shown in FIG. 23 to a temperature of about 150° C. ina preheating interval T1 inside the first and second preheating chambers6 a and 6 b to preliminarily heat the solder, heated to a temperature ofabout 220° C. in a reflow heating interval T2 inside the first andsecond reflow heating chambers 7 a and 7 b to heat the solder to themelting temperature, and cooled to solidify the melted solder in thecooling chamber 8. In the above stage, the temperature of the heater 9and the flow rate of the sirocco fan 12 of the first and secondpreheating chambers 6 a and 6 b and the temperature of the heater 9 andthe flow rate of the sirocco fan 12 of the first and second reflowheating chambers 7 a and 7 b are set to the temperatures and flow ratescorresponding to the thermal capacity of the circuit board 2 to besubjected to the reflow process. That is, the temperature of the heatedair of each chamber is controlled to a temperature corresponding to thethermal capacity of the circuit board 2 at the start and a preparationprocess of the reflow apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 24. In this stage,the paths of the heated air that flows along the upper surfaces of therail sections are blocked by the shield plates 217 a and 217 b so as toreduce the thermal interference between the chambers, enabling thereduction in power.

Furthermore, if the circuit board 2 is loaded, then a disorder as shownin FIG. 25 occurs in the temperature of the heated air of each chamber.If a circuit board loading interval is shorter than a time T3 requiredfor the restoration of the disorder into a stable state when circuitboards 2 are continuously loaded, then the next circuit board 2 is to beexposed to a temperature higher or lower than that of the previouscircuit board 2, causing variations in quality. However, in the casewhere the shield plates 217 a and 217 b are provided, a time T4 requiredfor the restoration of the disorder into the stable state becomes T3>T4,and this enables a reduction in electric power and a reduction in thecircuit board loading interval, i.e., an improvement in productivity.

A reflow apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the presentinvention will be described next with reference to FIG. 26 and FIG. 27.

The fifth embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in that thefifth embodiment is provided with shield plates 23 a and 23 b that serveas a second example of the heated gas flow path control member curved inboth adjoining space directions in contrast to the fourth embodimentprovided with the shield plates 217 a and 217 b. The shield plates 23 aand 23 b are each arranged so as to be fit in a space between each railsection and the partition wall 220 and have a curved shape such that theapproximate center portion is concaved toward the outside of the heatingchamber and the upper and lower end portions that interpose theapproximate center portion between them protrude toward the heatingchamber. The other part is the same as that of the fourth embodiment,and therefore, same components are denoted by same reference numeralswith no description provided for them.

According to the above-mentioned construction, paths 24 of the heatedair that tries to flow outwardly of the heating chamber (toward theright-hand heating chamber (first reflow heating chamber 7 a, as oneexample) in FIG. 27) along the upper surfaces of the rail sections in,for example, the left-hand heating chamber (second reflow heatingchamber 7 b, as an example) in FIG. 26 are blocked by the shield plates23 a and 23 b, directed smoothly along the rail section upper surfacesupward in the left-hand heating chamber via the curved surfaces of theshield plates 23 a and 23 b, and allowed to merge into the flow ofheated air from the upper portion to the lower portion of the left-handheating chamber. Therefore, the same operation as that of the fourthembodiment can be obtained, and more stable circulating air can beobtained. That is, the heated air blocked by the curved shape of theshield plates 23 a and 23 b can be put back to each chamber withoutstagnation, and the board 2 can be stably heated to the specifiedtemperature, allowing the heat treatment to be executed with highreliability.

Furthermore, as a modification example of the shield plates 23 a and 23b of FIG. 26, it is acceptable to arrange parallel pairs of shieldplates 25 a, 25 b, 26 a, and 26 b curved in both adjoining spaces asshown in FIG. 27. That is, the pairs of shield plates 25 a and 25 b arearranged parallel along the conveyance direction in the rail section 16a, while the pairs of shield plates 26 and 26 b are arranged parallelalong the conveyance direction in the rail section 16 b. The shieldplates 25 a, 25 b, 26 a, and 26 b constructed as above have an exteriorshape approximately equal to that of the foregoing shield plates 23 aand 23 b of FIG. 26. The other part is the same as that of the fourthembodiment, and therefore, same components are denoted by same referencenumerals with no description provided for them.

According to the above-mentioned construction, a paths 27 of the heatedair that tries to flow outwardly of the heating chamber (toward theright-hand heating chamber (first reflow heating chamber 7 a, as oneexample) in FIG. 27) along the upper surfaces of the rail sections in,for example, the left-hand heating chamber (second reflow heatingchamber 7 b, as an example) in FIG. 27 are blocked by the shield plates25 a and 25 b, directed smoothly along the rail section upper surfacesupward in the left-hand heating chamber via the curved surfaces of theshield plates 25 a and 25 b, and allowed to merge into the flow ofheated air from the upper portion to the lower portion of the left-handheating chamber. Therefore, the same operation as that of the fourthembodiment can be obtained, and more stable circulating air can beobtained.

Next, a reflow apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the presentinvention will be described next with reference to FIG. 28.

The present embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in that thesixth embodiment is provided with shield plates 28 a and 28 b includinga heat insulator 29 made principally of a material of, for example,calcium silicate for controlling heat conduction from the heated gastoward the outside of the heating chamber in contrast to the fourthembodiment provided with the shield plates 217 a and 217 b. The otherpart is the same as that of the fourth embodiment, and therefore, samecomponents are denoted by same reference numerals with no descriptionprovided for them.

According to the above-mentioned construction, a paths 30 of the heatedair that tries to flow outwardly of the heating chamber (toward theright-hand heating chamber (first reflow heating chamber 7 a, as oneexample) in FIG. 28) along the upper surfaces of the rail sections in,for example, the left-hand heating chamber (second reflow heatingchamber 7 b, as an example) in FIG. 28 are blocked by the shield plates28 a and 28 b. Furthermore, the heat conduction from the heated gastoward the outside of the heating chamber via the shield plates 28 a and28 b can be restrained by the heat insulator 29. Therefore, the sameoperation as that of the fourth embodiment can be obtained, and the heatconduction can also be restrained. That is, the heat conduction betweenthe heating chamber and the outside of the heating chamber via theshield plates 28 a and 28 b can also be reduced, and the circuit board 2can be stably heated to the specified temperature, allowing the heattreatment to be executed with high reliability.

The present embodiment can produce the aforementioned heat conductionrestraining effect by being combined with another arbitrary embodiment.

A reflow apparatus according to a seventh embodiment of the presentinvention will be described next with reference to FIGS. 29A and 29B.

The seventh embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in that railsections 31 a and 31 b have a mountain-like cross-section shape or therail sections 31 a and 31 b preferably have an upper portion of atriangular cross-section shape in the seventh embodiment in contrast tothe fourth embodiment provided with the shield plates 217 a and 217 b.In detail, each of the rail sections 31 a and 31 b has a pentagonalcross-section shape. The other part is the same as that of the fourthembodiment, and therefore, same components are denoted by same referencenumerals with no description provided for them.

According to the above-mentioned construction, in FIG. 29A and 29B,heated circulating air 32 flows from the upper portion to the lowerportion along the mountain-like shape of the rail sections 31 a and 31 bin the heating chamber (first reflow heating chamber 7 a and secondreflow heating chamber 7 b, as an example). Therefore, the flow ofheated air toward the outside of the heating chamber through an opening21 located between each heating chamber and the outside of the heatingchamber, along the upper surface of the rail as in the conventionalcase, can be reduced.

A reflow apparatus according to an eighth embodiment of the presentinvention will be described next with reference to FIG. 30A and 30B.

The eighth embodiment differs from the seventh embodiment in that theupper surfaces of rail sections 33 a and 33 b are sloped so as to belowered toward the opposite side of the circuit board 2 conveyed by therail sections 33 a and 33 b in contrast to the seventh embodiment whoserail sections 31 a and 31 b have a mountain-like cross-section shape.

According to the above-mentioned construction, in FIGS. 30A and 30B,heated circulating air 34 flows from the upper portion to the lowerportion along the slopes of the upper surfaces of the rail sections 33 aand 33 b so as to be lowered toward the opposite side of the circuitboard 2 in the heating chamber (first reflow heating chamber 7 a andsecond reflow heating chamber 7 b, as an example). In particular, bysloping the upper surfaces of the rail sections 33 a and 33 b toward theopposite side of the circuit board 2 conveyed by the rail sections 33 aand 33 b, only the heated air located just above the board can beuniformly applied to the circuit board 2 that is the object to beheated. Therefore, the flow of the heated air through the opening 21 ofthe partition wall 220 located between each heating chamber and theoutside of the heating chamber, along the upper surfaces of the railsections as in the conventional case, can be reduced, and variations intemperature of the entire surface of the circuit board 2 to be heatedcan be reduced, allowing the heating to be uniformly performed.

A reflow apparatus according to a ninth embodiment of the presentinvention will be described next.

The ninth embodiment is to concurrently put the fourth embodiment andthe seventh embodiment into practice, and an operation of a combinationof the operations of the fourth embodiment and the seventh embodimentcan be obtained.

Therefore, no description is provided.

Furthermore, an operation similar to that of the ninth embodiment can beobtained by putting any one of the fourth, fifth, and sixth embodimentsinto practice concurrently with either one of the seventh and eighthembodiments.

A reflow apparatus according to a tenth embodiment of the presentinvention will be described next with reference to FIG. 31 and FIG. 32.

The tenth embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in that, incontrast to the fourth embodiment provided with the shield plates 217 aand 217 b, the other movable rail section 16 b of a pair of railsections is arranged slidably within a range of, for example, 50 mm to460 mm in a direction in which the movable rail section moves close toand apart from a fixed rail section 16 a with respect to the fixed railsection 16 a of the pair of rail sections. A shield plate 35 of a sizecapable of closing a region other than a region that belongs to theopening 21 and is necessary for board conveyance (if possible, capableof blocking even a flow of heated air indicated by an arrow 22 g that isformed of a downward flow of heated air colliding against the board 2and flows outwardly of the heating chamber along the board, in FIG. 35)is fixed to the movable rail section 16 b at the entrance and exitlocated between the heating chamber and the outside of the heatingchamber, and the shield plate 35 is engaged integrally with the movementof the movable rail section 16 b in a direction perpendicular to theboard conveyance direction while being guided by a guide 36. With thisarrangement, by moving the movable rail section 16 b (by utilizing adrive mechanism as shown in FIG. 33) with respect to the fixed railsection 16 a according to the size of the board 2, the region other thanthe region that belongs to the opening 21 and is necessary for conveyingthe board can be closed by the shield plate 35. Depending on cases, aregion corresponding to a space above the board conveyance region is notrequired to be shielded by the shield plate. The other part is the sameas that of the fourth embodiment, and therefore, same components aredenoted by same reference numerals with no description provided forthem. It is to be noted that this embodiment can be arbitrarily combinedwith another embodiment. In particular, if the shield plate 35 of thistenth embodiment is arranged outside the heating chamber at the entranceof the first preparatory chamber and the exit of the second reflowheating chamber 7 b (see FIG. 19) and the shield plates 217 a and 217 bof the fourth embodiment are arranged inside the heating chamber at theentrance of the first preparatory chamber and the exit of the secondreflow heating chamber 7 b, then the effects of both the embodiments canbe synergistically produced.

According to the aforementioned construction, in FIG. 31, paths 37 ofthe heated air flowing along the upper surfaces of the rail sections areblocked by the shield plate 35, and heated air 38 flowing through aspace having no relation to the board conveyance in the opening 21 canalso be reduced without hindering the opening 21 except for the uppersurfaces of the rail sections, i.e., without hindering the conveyance ofthe board 2. Therefore, the same operation as that of the fourthembodiment can be obtained, and more stable circulating air can beobtained while restraining the thermal interference between the heatingchamber and the outside of the heating chamber. In particular, thesmaller the size of the circuit board 2 is, the larger the unnecessaryspace in the opening 21 is. Therefore, the effect of closing theunnecessary space with the shield plate 35 is great. That is, theopening area through which the board 2 is loaded and unloaded betweenthe heating chamber and the outside of the heating chamber can berestrained to the necessary minimum, and the thermal interference due tothe flow of the heated gas heated to the specified temperature in theheating chamber along the upper surfaces of the rail sections betweenthe heating chamber and the outside of the heating chamber can bereduced. Accordingly, the board 2 can be stably heated to the specifiedtemperature, allowing the heat treatment to be executed with highreliability.

Further, as shown in FIG. 36, another example of the heated gas flowpath control member may change the flow of the heated air instead ofblocking the path of the heated air in the heating chamber. That is, itis acceptable to form the inner surface, which is located on the heatingchamber side and belongs to a partition wall 21A for partitioningbetween the heating chamber and the outside of the heating chamber, intoa curved surface for the construction of the heated gas flow pathcontrol member so as to form a flow of the heated air flowing along thepartition wall 21A as indicated by an arrow 22 j toward the heatingchamber side in the rail sections 16 a and 16 b, changing to the insideof the heating chamber the path of the heated air that collides againstthe rail sections 16 a and 16 b inside the heating chamber and tries toflow outwardly of the heating chamber as indicated by an arrow 22 hshown in FIG. 35.

As shown in FIG. 37, according to a modification example of FIG. 36, itis acceptable to arrange a heated gas flow path changing plate 21C thatprotrudes toward the heating chamber and serves as the heated gas flowpath control member at the lower end portion of a partition wall 21B forpartitioning between the heating chamber and the outside of the heatingchamber so as to form a flow of the heated air that is flowing along thepartition wall 21B and further flowing along the heated gas flow pathchanging plate 21C as indicated by an arrow 22 j toward the heatingchamber in the rail sections 16 a and 16 b, changing to the inside ofthe heating chamber the paths of the heated air that collides againstthe rail sections 16 a and 16 b inside the heating chamber and tries toflow outwardly of the heating chamber as indicated by an arrow 22 hshown in FIG. 35 and FIG. 36.

The reflow apparatuses and methods of the aforementioned embodiments ofthe present invention can obtain the effects of reducing or blocking theheated air flowing toward the adjacent chamber along the upper surfacesof the rail sections, reducing the thermal interference between thechambers of the preheating chambers, the heating chambers, the coolingchamber, and between the chambers and the environmental atmospheres,reducing the consumption power, and stably heating the circuit board tothe specified temperature by providing a shield plate between thechambers of the preheating chambers, the heating chambers, the coolingchamber inside the furnace section and between them and theenvironmental atmospheres or making the rail sections have mountain-likecross-section shapes. Furthermore, the quantity of supply heat can bereduced in the apparatus for heating the heated gas, and a heatingapparatus and method whose consumption power is reduced can be realized.

As described above, each of the aforementioned embodiments is notlimited to the board on which the components are mounted. By applyingeach embodiment to the heat treatment of, for example, a wafer to whichan interposing substrate is bonded in a wafer state via bondingmaterials such as solder bumps or a wafer that has bonding materialssuch as bumps for mounting a component in a state in which no componentis mounted and changing to the inside of the heating chamber the flowpath of the heated gas that tries to advance from the heating chambertoward the outside of the heating chamber between the heating chamberinside the furnace section and the outside of the heating chamber in anoptimum state for the board, wafer, component, bonding material, and soon, there can be obtained the effects of reducing or blocking the heatedgas that flows along the upper surfaces of the rail sections from theheating chamber toward the outside of the heating chamber, reducing thethermal interference between the heating chamber and the outside of theheating chamber, reducing the consumption power, and stably heating themounting base object to the specified temperature. Therefore, in thecontrol operation for changing the flow path of the heated gas to theinside of the heating chamber by the heating apparatus and heatingmethod, the heating control can also be executed with high accuracytaking the heat resistance temperature of the bonding base object suchas a board or a component into consideration, and the occurrence of alarge warp of the bonding base object such as a wafer due to heat canalso be restrained. The bonding material such as solder or adhesive thatserves as the object to be heated can also be subjected to heatingcontrol with high accuracy at the optimum temperatures thereof.

According to an experiment, by concurrently putting the fourthembodiment and the fifth embodiment into practice, the consumption powercould be reduced by a power of 0.3 kW than when not.

By changing to the inside of the heating chamber the flow path of theheated gas that tries to advance from the heating chamber toward theoutside of the heating chamber between the heating chamber inside thefurnace section and the outside of the heating chamber, the heatingapparatus and heating method of the present invention obtains theeffects of reducing or blocking the heated gas that flows along theupper surface of the rail section from the heating chamber toward theoutside of the heating chamber, reducing the thermal interferencebetween the heating chamber and the outside of the heating chamber,reducing the consumption power, and stably heating the bonding baseobject to the specified temperature.

According to the present invention, in at least either one of the pairof rail sections of the conveyance section, the flow path of the heatedgas that tries to advance from the heating chamber toward the outside ofthe heating chamber is changed to the inside of the heating chamber atthe boundary between the heating chamber and the outside of the heatingchamber. With this arrangement, the thermal interference due to the flowof the heated gas heated to the specified temperature in each heatingchamber, along the upper surface of the rail section between the heatingchamber and the outside of the heating chamber can be reduced, and thebonding base object can be stably heated to the specified temperature,allowing the heat treatment to be executed with high reliability.Furthermore, the quantity of supply heat can be reduced in the apparatusfor heating the heated gas, and the heating apparatus and method of areduced consumption power can be realized.

In the present invention, the flow path of the heated gas that tries toadvance from the heating chamber toward the outside of the heatingchamber can also be changed to the inside of the heating chamber alongthe curved surface of the shield plate by means of the shield plate thathas the concave surface curved toward the outside of the heating chamberin the conveyance direction of the bonding base object in the heated gasflow path control stage. As described above, by the curved shape of theshield plate, the blocked heated gas can be put back to each chamberwithout stagnation, and the bonding base object can be stably heated tothe specified temperature, allowing the heat treatment to be executedwith high reliability. Furthermore, the quantity of supply heat can bereduced in the apparatus for heating the heated gas, and the heatingapparatus and heating method of a reduced consumption power can berealized.

The present invention can also restrain the heat conduction from theheated gas toward the outside of the heating chamber by means of theheat insulator of the shield plate when changing to the inside of theheating chamber the flow path of the heated gas that tries to advancefrom the heating chamber toward the outside of the heating chamber inthe heated gas flow path control stage. In this case, the thermalinterference due to the flow of the heated gas heated to the specifiedtemperature in the heating chamber along the upper surface of the railsection between the heating chamber and the outside of the heatingchamber can be reduced, and the thermal conduction between the heatingchamber and the outside of the heating chamber via the shield plate canbe additionally reduced. The bonding base object can be stably heated tothe specified temperature, and the heat treatment can be executed withhigh reliability. Furthermore, the quantity of supply heat can bereduced in the apparatus for heating the heated gas, and the heatingapparatus and heating method of a reduced consumption power can berealized.

According to the present invention, in at least either one of the pairof rail sections of the conveyance section, by flowing the heated gasdownward from above along the mountain-like shape of the cross sectionof the upper portion in the heated gas flow path control stage, theheated gas can be blocked from flowing toward the outside of the heatingchamber along the upper surface of the rail section. With thisarrangement, the heated gas heated to the specified temperature in theheating chamber can be flowed downward from above along themountain-like shape of the rail section. The thermal interference due tothe flow of the heated gas along the upper surface of the rail sectionbetween the heating chamber and the outside of the heating chamber canbe reduced, and the bonding base object can be stably heated to thespecified temperature, allowing the heat treatment to be executed withhigh reliability. Furthermore, the quantity of supply heat can bereduced in the apparatus for heating the heated gas, and the heatingapparatus and heating method of a reduced consumption power can berealized.

According to the present invention, in at least either the rail sectionof the pair of rail sections of the conveyance section, the uppersurface is sloped so as to be lowered toward the opposite side of thebonding base object conveyed by the rail sections of the conveyancesection, and the heated gas flows downward from above along the slope ofthe upper surface of the one rail section in the heated gas flow pathcontrol stage, by which the heated gas can be blocked from flowingtoward the outside of the heating chamber along the upper surface of therail section. With this arrangement, the heated gas heated to thespecified temperature in the heating chamber can be flowed from theupper portion to the lower portion along the shape of the rail sectionwithout being blocked by the rail section, and only the heated gas justabove the bonding base object can be uniformly applied to the bondingbase object. Accordingly, variations in temperature throughout theentire surface of the bonding base object can be reduced, allowingheating to be uniformly performed. Therefore, the thermal interferencedue to the flow of the heated gas along the upper surface of the railsection between the heating chamber and the outside of the heatingchamber can be reduced, and the bonding base object can be stably heatedto the specified temperature, allowing the heat treatment to be executedwith high reliability. Furthermore, the quantity of supply heat can bereduced in the apparatus for heating the heated gas, and the heatingapparatus and heating method of a reduced consumption power can berealized.

According to the present invention, at least either one rail section ofthe pair of rail sections of the conveyance section is fixed, and theother rail section is the movable rail section arranged movably in thedirection in which the movable rail section moves close to or apart fromthe fixed rail section according to the width dimension of the bondingbase object. In the heated gas flow path control stage, the region thatbelongs to the opening for conveying the bonding base object in theheating chamber and has no relation to the bonding base objectconveyance can be closed by the shield plate connected so as to moveintegrally with the movable rail section. With this arrangement, thearea of the opening through which the bonding base object is loaded andunloaded between the heating chamber and the outside of the heatingchamber can be restrained to the necessary minimum. The thermalinterference due to the flow of the heated gas heated to the specifiedtemperature in the heating chamber along the upper surface of the railsection between the heating chamber and the outside of the heatingchamber can be reduced, and the bonding base object can be stably heatedto the specified temperature, allowing the heat treatment to be executedwith high reliability. Furthermore, the quantity of supply heat can bereduced in the apparatus for heating the heated gas, and the heatingapparatus and heating method of a reduced consumption power can berealized.

When controlling the flow rate of the heated gas in either one or aplurality of embodiments of the first through third embodiments bycombining either one or a plurality of embodiments of the first throughthird embodiments with either one or a plurality of embodiments of thefourth through tenth embodiments, the flow of the heated gas from theheating chamber toward the outside of the heating chamber can berestrained, and the accuracy of the flow rate control of the heated gascan be further improved, allowing the consumption power to be moreeffectively reduced.

Although the present invention has been fully described in connectionwith the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to theaccompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes andmodifications are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes andmodifications are to be understood as included within the scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims unless they departtherefrom.

What is claimed is:
 1. A heating apparatus capable of heating an objectsuch that an electronic component is bonded to a bonding base object viathe object, said heating apparatus comprising: a conveyance sectionoperable to convey the bonding base object in a conveyance direction,said conveyance section comprising a pair of rail sections; a heatingchamber to heat the object, said heating chamber being operable tosupply a gas at a specified flow rate as a heating source, said heatingchamber being operable to supply the gas in a bonding base objectdirection, which intersects the conveyance direction; a heating deviceconstructed and arranged to heat the gas to a specified temperature; aheated gas flow path control member comprising a shield plate, saidheated gas flow path control member being disposed on one of said pairof rail sections at a position between an inside of said heating chamberand an outside of said heating chamber, said heated gas flow pathcontrol member operable to block heated gas from escaping to the outsideof said heating chamber by changing a flow path of the heated gas from afirst flow path to a second flow path, the first flow path having afirst direction of flow from the inside of said heating chamber to theoutside of said heating chamber, the second flow path having a seconddirection of flow from the outside of said heating chamber to the insideof said heating chamber; and a gas supply heat quantity control unitoperable to set a quantity of heat of the gas to a first quantity ofheat when heat treatment for the object is not required and to set thequantity of heat of the gas to a second quantity of heat when heattreatment for the object is required such that the first quantity ofheat is smaller than the second quantity of heat, wherein a firstportion of the gas supplied in the bonding base object direction issupplied onto the bonding base object, wherein a second portion of thegas supplied in the bonding base object direction is supplied beyond thebonding base object, and wherein said heating chamber is furtheroperable to direct the second portion of the gas to said heating devicesuch that the second portion of the gas is reheated, thereby internallyrecirculating the gas.
 2. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein said gas supply heat quantity control unit is further operableto increase the quantity of heat of the gas when a temperature of saidheating chamber is changed from a first heating chamber temperature to asecond heating chamber temperature higher than the first heating chambertemperature.
 3. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid gas supply heat quantity control unit comprises a gas flow ratecontrol unit, and wherein said gas flow rate control unit is furtheroperable to increase the quantity of heat of the gas by increasing asupply flow rate of the gas when a temperature of said heating chamberis changed from a first heating chamber temperature to a second heatingchamber temperature higher than the first heating chamber temperature.4. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: abonding base object detecting unit operable to detect a passing of thebonding base object through an entrance of said heating apparatus and apassing of the bonding base object through an exit of said heatingapparatus to thereby detect a presence of the bonding base object insaid heating apparatus or an absence of the bonding base object in saidheating apparatus, wherein said gas supply heat quantity control unit isfurther operable to determine that heat treatment for the object isrequired upon detection of the presence of the bonding base objectinside said heating apparatus and that heat treatment for the object isnot required upon detection of the absence of the bonding base objectinside said heating apparatus, and wherein the first quantity of heat isa standby quantity heat.
 5. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 4,wherein said gas supply heat quantity control unit comprises a gassupply flow rate control section operable to set a gas supply flow rateto control the quantity of supply heat of the gas, wherein the gassupply flow rate is a standby gas supply flow rate when heat treatmentfor the object is not required, and wherein the gas supply flow rate isa second gas supply flow rate when heat treatment for the object isrequired such that the second gas supply flow rate is greater than thestandby gas supply flow rate.
 6. The heating apparatus as claimed inclaim 4, wherein said gas supply heat quantity control unit comprises agas temperature control section operable to control the quantity ofsupply heat of the gas to heat the gas to a gas temperature, wherein thegas temperature is a standby temperature when heat treatment for theobject is not required, and wherein the gas temperature is a secondtemperature when heat treatment for the object is required such that thesecond temperature is greater than the standby temperature.
 7. Theheating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shield plate has acurved convex surface that is curved toward the outside of said heatingchamber in the conveyance direction, and wherein said curved convexsurface is operable to change the flow path, at a position between aninside of said heating chamber and an outside of said heating chamber,of the heated gas from the first flow path to a third flow path alongsaid curved convex surface.
 8. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim1, wherein one of said pair of rail sections is movable in a directiontoward, and a direction away from, the other of said pair of railsections to accommodate a width of the bonding base object, wherein saidheated gas flow path control member is connected to said movable railsection such that said heated gas flow path control member isconcurrently movable with said movable rail section, and wherein saidheated gas flow path control member comprises a shield plate capable ofclosing a region within said heating chamber, the region having norelation to an opening for a conveyance of the bonding base object. 9.The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated gasflow path control member comprises a heat insulator capable ofrestraining conduction of heat from the gas to the outside of saidheating chamber.
 10. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein said heated gas flow path control member comprises a taperedupper portion of one of said pair of rail sections, said tapered upperportion having a cross section that is tapered in a tapering direction,and wherein said tapered upper portion is capable of causing a thirdportion of the gas supplied in a direction of the bonding base object toflow along the tapering direction to thereby block the third portion ofthe gas from flowing toward the outside of said heating chamber along anupper surface of said one of said pair of rail sections.
 11. The heatingapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heated gas flow pathcontrol member comprises a sloped upper portion of one of said pair ofrail sections, said sloped upper portion having a cross section that issloped in a sloping direction.
 12. The heating apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said heated gas flow path control member furthercomprises a partition wall disposed on said one of said pair of railsections, said partition wall is arranged at a boundary between saidheating chamber and the outside of said heating chamber.
 13. The heatingapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heating device is operableto heat the gas to a specified temperature that is sufficient to bondthe electronic component to the bonding base object via the object whenthe object is a bonding material.
 14. The heating apparatus as claimedin claim 1, wherein said heating device is operable to heat the gas to aspecified temperature that is sufficient to bond the electroniccomponent to the bonding base object via the object when the object is asolder or an electronic component fixing-thermosetting adhesive or thatis sufficient to encapsulate the electronic component when the object isan electronic component encapsulating resin.
 15. A heating apparatuscapable of heating an object such that an electronic component is bondedto a bonding base object via the object, said heating apparatuscomprising: a conveyance section operable to convey the bonding baseobject in a conveyance direction, said conveyance section comprising apair of rail sections; a heating chamber to heat the object, saidheating chamber being operable to supply a gas at a specified flow rateas a heating source, said heating chamber being operable to supply thegas in a bonding base object direction, which intersects the conveyancedirection; a heating device constructed and arranged to heat the gas toa specified temperature; a heated gas flow path control membercomprising a shield plate, said heated gas flow path control memberbeing disposed on one of said pair of rail sections at a positionbetween an inside of said heating chamber and an outside of said heatingchamber, said heated gas flow path control member operable to blockheated gas from escaping to the outside of said heating chamber bychanging a flow path of the heated gas from a first flow path to asecond flow path, the first flow path having a first direction of flowfrom the inside of said heating chamber to the outside of said heatingchamber, the second flow path having a second direction of flow from theoutside of said heating chamber to the inside of said heating chamber;and a gas supply heat quantity control unit operable to set a supplyheat quantity of the gas to a first supply heat quantity when atemperature of said heating chamber is not set to be changed andoperable to change the supply heat quantity of the gas from the firstsupply heat quantity to a second supply heat quantity when a temperatureof said heating chamber is set to be changed, wherein a first portion ofthe gas supplied in the bonding base object direction is supplied ontothe bonding base object, wherein a second portion of the gas supplied inthe bonding base object direction is supplied beyond the bonding baseobject, and wherein said heating chamber is further operable to directthe second portion of the gas to said heating device such that thesecond portion of the gas is re-heated, thereby internally recirculatingthe gas.
 16. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 15, furthercomprising: a bonding base object detecting unit operable to detect apassing of the bonding base object through an entrance of said heatingapparatus and a passing of the bonding base object through an exit ofsaid heating apparatus to thereby detect a presence of the bonding baseobject in said heating apparatus or an absence of the bonding baseobject in said heating apparatus, wherein said gas supply heat quantitycontrol unit is further operable to determine that heat treatment forthe object is required upon detection of the presence of the bondingbase object inside said heating apparatus and that heat treatment forthe object is not required upon detection of the absence of the bondingbase object inside said heating apparatus, and wherein the first supplyheat quantity is a standby supply heat quantity and is lower than thesecond supply heat quantity.
 17. The heating apparatus as claimed inclaim 16, wherein said gas supply heat quantity control unit comprises agas supply flow rate control section operable to set a gas supply flowrate to control the quantity of supply heat of the gas, wherein the gassupply flow rate is a standby gas supply flow rate when heat treatmentfor the object is not required, and wherein the gas supply flow rate isa second gas supply flow rate when heat treatment for the object isrequired such that the second gas supply flow rate is greater than thestandby gas supply flow rate.
 18. The heating apparatus as claimed inclaim 16, wherein said gas supply heat quantity control unit comprises agas temperature control section operable to control the quantity ofsupply heat of the gas to heat the gas to a gas temperature, wherein thegas temperature is a standby temperature when heat treatment for theobject is not required, and wherein the gas temperature is a secondtemperature when heat treatment for the object is required such that thesecond temperature is greater than the standby temperature.
 19. Theheating apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said heating device isoperable to heat the gas to a specified temperature that is sufficientto bond the electronic component to the bonding base object via theobject when the object is a bonding material.
 20. The heating apparatusas claimed in claim 15, wherein said heating device is operable to heatthe gas to a specified temperature that is sufficient to bond theelectronic component to the bonding base object via the object when theobject is a solder or an electronic component fixing-thermosettingadhesive or that is sufficient to encapsulate the electronic componentwhen the object is an electronic component encapsulating resin.
 21. Amethod of heating an object such that an electronic component is bondedto a bonding base object via the object, said method comprising:conveying the bonding base object in a conveyance direction through aheating chamber; heating a gas to a specified temperature via a heatingdevice; supplying the heated gas, at a specified flow rate, from theheating device and into the heating chamber in a bonding base objectdirection, which intersects the conveyance direction; setting a quantityof heat of the heated gas to a first quantity of heat when heattreatment for the object is not required and setting the quantity ofheat of the heated gas to a second quantity of heat when heat treatmentfor the object is required such that the first quantity of heat issmaller than the second quantity of heat; and directing a first portionof the heated gas supplied into the heating chamber to the heatingdevice thereby internally recirculating the heated gas, wherein saidsupplying the heated gas comprises supplying a second portion of theheated gas supplied in a bonding base object direction onto the bondingbase object and supplying the first portion of the heated gas suppliedin a bonding base object direction beyond the bonding base object,wherein said conveying the bonding base object comprises conveying thebonding base object via a pair of rail sections, and wherein saidsupplying the heated gas comprises changing a flow path, via a heatedgas flow path control member disposed on one of the pair of railsections at a position between an inside of the heating chamber and anoutside of the heating chamber, of the heated gas from a first flow pathhaving a direction from the inside of the heating chamber to the outsideof the heating chamber to a second flow path having a direction from theoutside of the heating chamber to the inside of the heating chamber. 22.The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said setting a quantity ofheat of the heated gas further comprises increase the quantity of heatof the heated gas when a temperature of the heating chamber is changedfrom a first heating chamber temperature to a second heating chambertemperature higher than the first heating chamber temperature.
 23. Themethod as claimed in claim 21, wherein said setting a quantity of heatof the heated gas further comprises controlling a gas flow rate of thesupplied heated gas, and wherein said controlling a gas flow rate of thesupplied heated gas comprises increasing the quantity of heat of the gasby increasing a supply flow rate of the gas when a temperature of theheating chamber is changed from a first heating chamber temperature to asecond heating chamber temperature higher than the first heating chambertemperature.
 24. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:detecting a passing of the bonding base object through an entrance ofthe heating chamber and a passing of the bonding base object through anexit of the heating chamber to thereby detect a presence of the bondingbase object in the heating chamber or an absence of the bonding baseobject in the heating chamber, wherein said setting a quantity of heatof the heated gas further comprises determining that heat treatment forthe object is required upon detection of the presence of the bondingbase object inside the heating chamber and that heat treatment for theobject is not required upon detection of the absence of the bonding baseobject inside the heating chamber, and wherein the first quantity ofheat is a standby quantity heat.
 25. The method as claimed in claim 24,wherein said setting a quantity of heat of the heated gas comprisessetting a gas supply flow rate to control th e quantity of supply heatof the gas, wherein the gas supply flow rate is the standby gas supplyflow rate when heat treatment for the object is not required, andwherein the gas supply flow rate is a second gas supply flow rate whenheat treatment for the object is required such that the second gassupply flow rate is greater than the standby gas supply flow rate. 26.The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said setting a quantity ofheat of the heated gas further comprises controlling the quantity ofsupply heat of the gas to heat the gas to a gas temperature, wherein thegas temperature is the standby temperature when heat treatment for theobject is not required, and wherein the gas temperature is a secondtemperature when heat treatment for the object is required such that thesecond temperature is greater than the standby temperature.
 27. A methodof heating an object such that an electronic component is bonded to abonding base object via the object, said method comprising: conveyingthe bonding base object in a conveyance direction through a heatingchamber; heating a gas to a specified temperature via a heating device;supplying the heated gas, at a specified flow rate, from the heatingdevice and into the heating chamber in a bonding base object direction,which intersects the conveyance direction; setting a quantity of heat ofthe heated gas to a first quantity of heat when a temperature of theheating chamber is not set to be changed and setting the quantity ofheat of the heated gas to a second quantity of heat when the temperatureof the heating chamber is set to be changed such that the first quantityof heat is smaller than the second quantity of heat; and directing afirst portion of the heated gas supplied into the heating chamber to theheating device thereby internally recirculating the heated gas, whereinsaid supplying the heated gas comprises supplying a second portion ofthe heated gas supplied in a bonding base object direction onto thebonding base object and supplying the first portion of the heated gassupplied in a bonding base object direction beyond the bonding baseobject, wherein said conveying the bonding base object comprisesconveying the bonding base object via a pair of rail sections, andwherein said supplying the heated gas further comprises changing a flowpath, via a heated gas flow path control member disposed on one of thepair of rail sections at a position between an inside of the heatingchamber and an outside of the heating chamber, of the heated gas from afirst flow path having a direction from the inside of the heatingchamber to the outside of the heating chamber to a second flow pathhaving a direction from the outside of the heating chamber to the insideof the heating chamber.
 28. The method as claimed in claim 27, furthercomprising: detecting a passing of the bonding base object through anentrance of the heating chamber and a passing of the bonding base objectthrough an exit of the heating chamber to thereby detect a presence ofthe bonding base object in the heating chamber or an absence of thebonding base object in the heating chamber, wherein said setting aquantity of heat of the heated gas further comprises determining thatheat treatment for the object is required upon detection of the presenceof the bonding base object inside the heating chamber and that heattreatment for the object is not required upon detection of the absenceof the bonding base object inside the heating chamber, and wherein thefirst quantity of heat is a standby quantity heat.
 29. The method asclaimed in claim 28, wherein said setting a quantity of heat of theheated gas comprises setting a gas supply flow rate to control thequantity of supply heat of the gas, wherein the gas supply flow rate isa standby gas supply flow rate when heat treatment for the object is notrequired, and wherein the gas supply flow rate is a second gas supplyflow rate when heat treatment for the object is required such that thesecond gas supply flow rate is greater than the standby gas supply flowrate.
 30. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein said setting aquantity of heat of the heated gas further comprises controlling thequantity of supply heat of the gas to heat the gas to a gas temperature,wherein the gas temperature is a standby temperature when heat treatmentfor the object is not required, and wherein the gas temperature is asecond temperature when heat treatment for the object is required suchthat the second temperature is greater than the standby temperature. 31.The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said supplying the heated gasfurther comprises blocking the gas having the first flow path with theheated gas flow path control member which comprises a shield platedisposed adjacent to the one of the pair of rail sections and at theposition between the inside of the heating chamber and the outside ofthe heating chamber.
 32. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein saidsupplying the heated gas further comprises: blocking the gas having thefirst flow path with the heated gas flow path control member whichcomprises a shield plate disposed adjacent to the one of the pair ofrail sections and at the position between the inside of the heatingchamber and the outside of the heating chamber, the shield plate havinga curved convex surface that is curved toward the outside of the heatingchamber in the conveyance direction, and changing the flow path, at aposition between an inside of the heating chamber and an outside of theheating chamber, of the heated gas from the first flow path to a thirdflow path along said curved convex surface via the curved convexsurface.
 33. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said conveyingthe bonding base object further comprises moving one of the pair of railsections in a direction toward, or a direction away from, the other ofthe pair of rail sections to accommodate a width of the bonding baseobject, and wherein said changing a flow path further comprises movingthe heated gas flow path control member, which is connected to themovable rail section, and which comprises a shield plate capable ofclosing a region within the heating chamber, the region having norelation to an opening for a conveyance of the bonding base object. 34.The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said changing a flow pathcomprises changing a flow path via a heated gas flow path control memberthat further comprises a partition wall disposed on the one of the pairof rail sections.
 35. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein saidheating a gas comprises heating a gas to a specified temperature that issufficient to bond the electronic component to the bonding base objectvia the object when the object is a bonding material.
 36. The method asclaimed in claim 27, wherein said heating a gas comprises heating a gasto a specified temperature that is sufficient to bond the electroniccomponent to the bonding base object via the object when the object is asolder or an electronic component fixing-thermosetting adhesive or thatis sufficient to encapsulate the electronic component when the object isan electronic component encapsulating resin.
 37. A heating apparatuscapable of heating an object such that an electronic component is bondedto a bonding base object via the object, said heating apparatuscomprising: a conveyance section operable to convey the bonding baseobject in a conveyance direction, said conveyance section comprising apair of rail sections; a heating chamber operable to supply a heated gasto the object thereby heating the object; and a heated gas flow pathcontrol member comprising a shield plate and operable to block a flowpath of the heated gas having a direction of flow from the inside ofsaid heating chamber to the outside of said heating chamber, said heatedgas flow path control member being disposed on one of said pair of railsections at a position between an inside of said heating chamber and anoutside of said heating chamber.
 38. The heating apparatus as claimed inclaim 37, wherein said shield plate has a curved convex surface that iscurved toward the outside of said heating chamber in the conveyancedirection, and wherein said curved convex surface is operable to changethe flow path, at a position between an inside of said heating chamberand an outside of said heating chamber, of the heated gas from the firstflow path to a third flow path along said curved convex surface.
 39. Theheating apparatus as claimed in claim 37, wherein one of said pair ofrail sections is movable in a direction toward, and a direction awayfrom, the other of said pair of rail sections to accommodate a width ofthe bonding base object, wherein said heated gas flow path controlmember is connected to said movable rail section such that said heatedgas flow path control member is concurrently movable with said movablerail section, and wherein said heated gas flow path control membercomprises a shield plate capable of closing a region within said heatingchamber, the region having no relation to an opening for a conveyance ofthe bonding base object.
 40. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim37, wherein said heated gas flow path control member comprises a heatinsulator capable of restraining conduction of heat from the heated gasto the outside of said heating chamber.
 41. The heating apparatus asclaimed in claim 37, wherein said heated gas flow path control membercomprises a tapered upper portion of one of said pair of rail sections,said tapered upper portion having a cross section that is tapered in atapering direction, and wherein said tapered upper portion is arrangedsuch that capable of causing a third portion of the gas supplied in adirection of the bonding base object to flow along the taperingdirection to thereby block the third portion of the gas from flowingtoward the outside of said heating chamber along an upper surface ofsaid one of said pair of rail sections.
 42. The heating apparatus asclaimed in claim 37, wherein said heated gas flow path control membercomprises a sloped upper portion of one of said pair of rail sections,said sloped upper portion having a cross section that is sloped in asloping direction.
 43. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 37,wherein said heated gas flow path control member further comprises apartition wall disposed on said one of said pair of rail sections, saidpartition wall is arranged at a boundary between said heating chamberand the outside of said heating chamber.
 44. The heating apparatus asclaimed in claim 37, wherein said heating device is operable to heat thegas to a specified temperature that is sufficient to bond the electroniccomponent to the bonding base object via the object when the object is abonding material.
 45. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 37,wherein said heating device is operable to heat the gas to a specifiedtemperature that is sufficient to bond the electronic component to thebonding base object via the object when the object is a solder or anelectronic component fixing-thermosetting adhesive or that is sufficientto encapsulate the electronic component when the object is an electroniccomponent encapsulating resin.
 46. The heating apparatus as claimed inclaim 37, further comprising: a second heated gas flow path controlmember comprising a second shield plate, wherein said heating chambercomprises a spare chamber and a heating use chamber, said spare chamberbeing operable to heat the object, said heating use chamber beingdisposed and being operable to heat the object subsequent to a heatingby said spare chamber, wherein said heated gas flow path control memberis disposed and an entrance of said spare chamber, and wherein saidsecond heated gas flow path control member is disposed at an exit ofsaid heating use chamber.
 47. A method of heating an object such that anelectronic component is bonded to a bonding base object via the object,said method comprising: conveying the bonding base object in aconveyance direction via a pair of rail sections; supplying a heated gasto the object via a heating chamber thereby heating the object; andblocking a heated gas flow path of the heated gas via a heated gas flowpath control member comprising a shield plate, the heated gas flow pathhaving a direction from the inside of the heating chamber to the outsideof the heating chamber, the heated gas flow path control member beingdisposed on one of the pair of rail sections at a position between aninside of the heating chamber and an outside of the heating chamber. 48.The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 47, further comprisingrestraining, via a heat insulator within the shield plate, heat fromconducting to the outside of the heating chamber from within the heatingchamber.
 49. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 47, wherein saidblocking a heated gas flow path of the heated gas comprises blocking aheated gas flow path of the heated gas via a heated gas flow pathcontrol member comprising a shield plate having a curved convex surfacethat is curved toward the outside of the heating chamber in theconveyance direction, and wherein said blocking a heated gas flow pathof the heated gas further comprises changing the flow path, at aposition between an inside of the heating chamber and an outside of theheating chamber, of the heated gas from the first flow path to a thirdflow path along said curved convex surface via the curved convexsurface.
 50. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 47, wherein saidconveying the bonding base object further comprises moving one of thepair of rail sections in a direction toward, or a direction away from,the other of the pair of rail sections to accommodate a width of thebonding base object, wherein said blocking a heated gas flow path of theheated gas further comprises moving the heated gas flow path controlmember, which is connected to the movable rail section, and whichcomprises a shield plate capable of closing a region within the heatingchamber, the region having no relation to an opening for a conveyance ofthe bonding base object.
 51. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim47, wherein said blocking a heated gas flow path of the heated gascomprises blocking a heated gas flow path of the heated gas via a heatedgas flow path control member comprising a tapered upper portion of oneof the pair of rail sections, the tapered upper portion having a crosssection that is tapered in a tapering direction, the tapered upperportion is capable of blocking gas from flowing toward the outside ofthe heating chamber along an upper surface of said one of the pair ofrail sections.
 52. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 47, whereinsaid blocking a heated gas flow path of the heated gas comprisesblocking a heated gas flow path of the heated gas via a heated gas flowpath control member comprising a sloped upper portion of one of the pairof rail sections, the sloped upper portion having a cross section thatis sloped in a sloping direction.
 53. The heating apparatus as claimedin claim 47, wherein said blocking a heated gas flow path of the heatedgas further comprises blocking a heated gas flow path of the heated gasvia a heated gas flow path control member further comprising a partitionwall disposed on one of the pair of rail sections, the partition wall isarranged at a boundary between the heating chamber and the outside ofthe heating chamber.
 54. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 47,wherein said supplying a heated gas comprises supplying a heated gas ata specified temperature that is sufficient to bond the electroniccomponent to the bonding base object via the object when the object is abonding material.
 55. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 47,wherein said supplying a heated gas comprises supplying a heated gas ata specified temperature that is sufficient to bond the electroniccomponent to the bonding base object via the object when the object is asolder or an electronic component fixing-thermosetting adhesive or thatis sufficient to encapsulate the electronic component when the object isan electronic component encapsulating resin.